Missing the mark: Why the Met Ball no longer matters

Good morning, Tuesday. I suppose some of you are wondering (or not) why I refrained from comment concerning last night's Met Ball. To be perfectly honest, the whole thing was a sad and tremendous bore. I'm not sure how an event that is all about fashion and design became such a train wreck, but said train went way off the tracks. So few people got the memo about the party itself- was this not a soiree to fete Chinese style and the iconic imprint it has left on the world? Yea, no. Nobody saw that. Or very few did. I can't even. And I don't care, because this is not the Met Ball I used to look forward to seeing pictures of- this is the Met Ball of banned selfies and starlets and reality stars.

And clearly these are people that are more like paper dolls than fashion plates- they are dressed by million dollar stylists in million dollar dresses but end up looking cheap somehow. Kardashians- unbearably bad. Kim in a copycat gown that Beyonce already wore and momager Kris committing more fashion crimes in one body than an entire prison. How on Earth did she decide to wear this? Also Anne Hathaway. What on Earth? A meteoric miss.

And SJP. Dear Lord. Sweet sweet Lord. Horrific.

Really to me the only people that looked good were Grace Coddington and Karolina Kurkova, for very different reasons. Grace for being herself and being chic and effortless and putting all the paper dolls to shame, while Karolina paid attention to why they were all there in the first place and went sexy cheongsam. Also a huge thumbs up for Larry David, who showed the fashion pack a thing or two about the best accessory one can have on the red carpet- a bit of wit and confidence and something wholly unique to himself- love the formal sneakers. So great. Not themed of course, but these events are never really about the men, are they?

Oh and I did quite like Liya Kebede's Phillip Lim ensemble- modern and chic but also mindful of the evening. Well played.

But I thought I'd share an email from a dear friend, which was written late at night after the festivities were finished which read:

"After viewing the Met Ball photos?

I must speak up.

Anna: I love you. You are a brilliantly smart, incredible editor. But you are the editor of Vogue. And I realize it is no longer the Vogue of Cecil Beaton and Slim Keith. And the Met Ball is no longer the Party of the Year of Mrs Vreeland, Mrs Buckley, Mrs Englehard and Mrs Whitney.

But come now: the Met Ball looked like a circus like freakshow.

A mashup - and NOT an interesting one - of people who wanted to show up and pose. And that's NOT interesting. Or luxurious. Or chic. Or cool. The clothes were nothing short of horrid. You had a few cool people. But whoa, watered down by uninteresting nobodies. And again such horrible clothes. And just because you are famous, that does NOT make you interesting. In fact, the opposite is true.

Rethink it all.

A good party is a mix: beautiful people, social, fun, politics, art, entertainment, business, fashion, nonprofit, music, culture, intellectual, lighthearted - not just fame is the common denominator.

And that's just what it was, it was "common." It tried too hard and it missed the mark by a mile.

That's all.

Ugh."

I couldn't agree more- less celebrities, more insider fashion people and women who really understand what it means to be in vogue. One can only hope Kim's invitation gets lost in the mail next year. Sniff sniff. I think the past few Met Balls have shown us that very few Hollywood or starlet or bright young things really "get" the brief- be creative, be original, and have fun with it. And for those that ignored the theme completely- thumbs way down. At least wear a dragon pin or carry a red lacquered minaudiere. Some effort please. And bring back intriguing, glamorous people who don't even own a TV or know what or whom a Kardashian is. I hate that fashion and fame are so intermingled, because the mix is no longer appealing. That thrill is (long) gone.

Cause that's what's up this sadly unstyleworthy post Met Ball Tuesday in the 212. Yours, in seeing red and going to better parties with interesting people. XO