Thank the Camp Gods for Darren Criss and His 2019 Met Gala Outfit
Darren Criss is a singular man. I've been lucky enough to work with him, styling the actor for a photo shoot when The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story was just making its way into the national consciousness. I was struck by two things. First, he remembered every single person on set's name. That's a hell of a feat. Second, he knows fashion, loves fashion, and isn't afraid to go for it.
So of course the actor looked incredible on the red carpet of the 2019 Met Gala. How could he not? Not only does he have a genuine appreciation for getting dressed, he was also in a show that showed us all how great camp can be in the context of mainstream cultural consumption. Please, before you get bored with my appreciation for the Criss-ness of this all, gaze upon his Met Gala look:
I want, with all of my heart, to make a good "harlequin romance" joke here. It seems like the right thing to do. But it's just not coming to me. So let me say this: He's wearing a harlequin jacket, and I love it. Are you not satisfied? You should be.
No, seriously. You should be, because aside from any poor attempts at wordplay, Criss really delivered on tonight's theme. The jacket? Sure, that's a lot. But camp means going so far past "a lot." So he topped it off with a big-ass bow. Great! And then he got his makeup game going with a dramatic (if minimal) lip and some serious eyeshadow. It's too much. Which is exactly the right amount.
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