The Met Gala is THE carpet of the year. There will always be the typical glamorous looks but the award-winning hairdressers from Sydney’s best salon love to pay tribute to the hairstyles that really make an impression. As artisans of our trade, we at Murphy Gozzard will always champion those who challenge the status quo by creating the best hairstyles, best cuts and best colours. The trendsetters who are fearless with their hair choices and embody the spirit of the event. 2019 was the year of ‘Camp’ in honour of Susan Sontag’s iconic 1964 essay “Notes on Camp”. The piece gives 58 definitions of what camp actually means, and here are a couple of our favourites:
· The hallmark of Camp is the spirit of extravagance. Camp is a woman walking around in a dress made of three million feathers.
· Camp sees everything in quotation marks. It's not a lamp, but a "lamp"; not a woman, but a "woman."
· When something is just bad (rather than Camp), it's often because it is too mediocre in its ambition. The artist hasn't attempted to do anything really outlandish.
While there were so many stand out looks on the carpet, here are a few of our favourite styles:
Lupita Nyongo
This larger than life look features the most glorious towering afro offset by five hand painted picks in the front and glittering star embellishments in the back. Stylist Francois Vernon used the look not just to wow on the carpet, but to pay homage to the cultural significance of the afro in Camp culture. He wanted to show the power of his culture’s hair texture and it’s storied heritage in a celebration to match that magical rainbow of a Versace number.
Tessa Thompson
Bringing new meaning to fiercely feminine, her hair is a literal whip. Her 12-foot long plait was woven and coated in latex to give it a true whip effect, complemented by the riding crop she also carried. Connected to her high ponytail, this incredible hair look is a feat of engineering, allowing it to hold it’s shape but also be flexible enough for Tessa to crack it on the carpet. What better way to pay homage to a bondage-inflected Chanel couture dress?
Lady Gaga
As Gala Co-Chair Gaga was never going to do it in halves. From her Camp perfection strip tease on the carpet featuring multiple looks to her hair and make-up choices, the night was rightfully hers. Her look by long time stylist Frederic Aspiras featured built in bows which created a headband for an all-in-one, unforgettable look. The exaggerated wave, precision fringe and platinum hue finish the effect.
