While I have little words on the Costume Institute’s 2009 Gala, I still have plenty of impressions and sights to share as the gala’s red carpet was very pleasing to the eye. The Metropolitan Museum’s 2009 gala being that of ‘The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion’. An exploration of the impact and inspiration that the model has on the designer, as his/her ‘muse’.

Era to era, models have defined fashion statements and influenced trends. With the ‘Big Six’, the most in demand, most visible, highest paid, and most desired, there was a recognized acceptance of the ’supermodel’ and a prevalent desire to have her face on your label. The inspiration of a look, a trend, being best expressed with your model of choice.

In Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Kate Moss and Linda Evangelista we learned of names with just as much ‘branding’ power as that of Calvin Klein, Guess?, and Maybelline. The models being that which could be presumed as actually having branded such products to the public. It was Kate Moss who was associated with CK ads and was the ‘face’ of their campaign. Guess? and Claudia Schiffer which not only made this German model a top paid model but made Guess? one of the most sought and worn pair of jeans.

Linda Evangelista is known for perfectly emphasizing and summarizing the status of the supermodel, but I believe best said with, “We don’t ‘vogue’; we are vogue”. As the public related advertising and brands to their ’super’ role-model of choice, designers desired the name that would best market their product.

The supermodel may no longer be the norm, as we see many models today and not just a core few, but the importance of models as a muse and inspiration to fashion designers will never change; the Costume Institute exhibit at The Met depicts just this.

As for the red carpet:

Model Lily Donaldson with/wearing Narciso Rodriquez, Ciara wearing Emilo Pucci, Elizabeth Hurley wearing Elie Saab, Katy Perry wearing Tommy Hilfiger, and Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson with/wearing Stella McCartney.

Rachel Weisz with/wearing Vera Wang, model Oluchi Onweagba wearing Oscar de la Renta, socialite Daphne Guinness with/wearing Oscar de La Renta, Rose Byrne wearing Marc Jacobs, and model Coca Rocha with/wearing Isaac Mizrahi.

And from our ‘Big Six’:

Cindy Crawford wearing custom Versace, Kate Moss with/wearing Marc Jacobs, and Claudia Schiffer wearing Atelier Versace.