BAZAAR Editors Interpret The Met Gala’s ‘The Garden Of Time’ Theme
Here’s what we are hoping to see on the steps of The Met, come the first Monday in May.
The annual Met Gala is always one of the biggest events in the fashion world, and this year is no different. Themed ‘The Garden of Time’, this year’s Met Gala will be hosted on Monday, 6 May, and co-chaired by a selection of A-list celebrities, with this year’s committee including: Anna Wintour, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth and Bad Bunny. More importantly, the gala is famous for its guest-list of world-class celebrities from all around the world, who bring their fashion A-game to its red carpet year after year.
Ahead of the event, members of the Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore team share their personal interpretations of this year’s theme, as well as the pieces or places that influenced their imaginations.
Kenneth Goh, Editor-in-Chief
“For this year’s Met Gala theme that riffs off ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ and ‘The Garden of Time’ dress code, I would pick something that is nostalgic as it implies a sense of history. It must have accents of fairy tales, with the notion of Sleeping Beauty, and combine elements of nature as it speaks of a garden. It would be something that has tradition perhaps in the way it’s made (using age-old crafts like crochet, lace, embroidery) and still looks dramatic and modern on the red carpet. I picked these looks from Spanish designer Yolancris because they have all the elements combined, plus they are in cream with a flow that would make magical pictures.”
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Renee Batchelor, Deputy Editor
“The Garden of Time theme makes me think immediately of the biblical Adam and Eve story, so I picture a lot of botanical or even snake or apple-themed costumes and clothes. For some reason, the idea of the comic book character Poison Ivy (as originated on screen by Uma Thurman in 1997’s Batman & Robin) comes to mind, so I’m hoping to see some camp interpretations in vivid green shades.”
Windy Aulia, Creative Director
“When I think about the theme, ‘The Garden of Time’, it immediately conjures up the idea of past-meets-present, and the beautifully manicured gardens of the Italian Palazzos that have stood the test of time. So how apt it would be to look into Pier Paolo Piccioli’s last haute couture collection for Valentino, shown this past January. Look #19, in particular, is described as a deep red silk cape embroidered with roses paired with green water wool and silk trousers. No shortage of drama here, especially when it uses 87 metres of fabric to create the look.”
Annabelle Fernandez, Digital Director
“For a theme like ‘The Garden of Time’, one of the first shows that comes to my mind is Raf Simons’ debut for Christian Dior. His Fall/Winter 2012 couture collection was presented to guests in a set composed of five rooms, each filled from floor to ceiling with different flowers—a million in total—a nod to Monsieur Dior’s “Flower Woman”, as well as his love for flowers and gardens. This strapless gown, in Dior’s signature New Look silhouette and dotted with embellishments that resemble budding blooms, is to me a timeless interpretation of the theme; with pockets, no less.
Gracia Phang, Style Editor
“Two images immediately came to mind when I saw the theme, without reading its inspiration. First of all, the encased roses and butterflies in illuminated dresses veiled in tulle at Undercover’s spring/summer 2024 collection. Romantic with a heavy dose of mystery and darkness, it felt like a time capsule of beauty of sorts; which then brings me to the second image in my head: Singapore’s very own Flower Dome at Gardens By The Bay. Same time capsule concept, but with a more lighthearted and joyful approach.”
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Arissa Ha, Senior Beauty Editor
“I see ‘The Garden of Time’ as an ode to transient beauty. This dress was the very last look from Alexander McQueen’s final show before his untimely passing. Gold, a material associated with both opulence and eternity, contrasts sharply with the impermanence and delicate beauty of the duck feathers used in this garment, capturing a balance between time’s fragility and its inherent grace. I chose this particular piece—McQueen’s last—as it’s a fitting tribute to the sense of continuity and the enduring impact of creative legacies that outlive their creators.”
Shermin Ng, Senior Digital Writer
“‘The Garden of Time’ brings to mind the Teshima Museum of Art by architect Ryue Nishizawa in collaboration with artist Rei Naito. Seamlessly designed into its wooded landscape and resembling a water droplet, the gallery space houses a single artwork by Naito and features elliptical openings open to the elements—sun, wind, rain and fauna. The calming atmosphere engages with nature according to the time of day; a perfect harmony of poetic beauty and feeling. I’d imagine this to be translated into a sculptural dress with colour-changing, shape-shifting elements that transform as they respond to external stimuli like humidity, temperature and light.”
Joe Tan, Social Media Manager
“The Met Gala usually brings the theatrics to the red carpet, and I don’t imagine this year to be any different. With the ‘Garden of Time’ theme, I think the looks from Simone Rocha’s AW20 collection would be something we can expect to see on the day. Without going the expected (read: boring) route and going with anything floral—prints, motifs, or using actual flowers etc., the look above constructed from interwoven natural fibres could make for a fashion moment to remember.”
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Brandon Chia, Content Producer
“The beauty of nature doesn’t just exist in an instant. Seeds need to germinate into seedlings before turning into a flowering plant and the same goes for insects that undergo metamorphosis to become mesmerising creatures. I would pay homage to this natural phenomenon and the Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2011 butterfly dress on display in the exhibition while adding theatrics—similar to Zendaya’s Moschino gown at the Australian premiere of The Greatest Showman in 2017. With the steps of the Met acting as my stage, I would be carried onto the carpet concealed within a chrysalis. As the cameras point towards it, I would emerge gloriously as a glittering butterfly covered in millions of crystals, scattering bling as I sashay into the museum.”