The Met Gala, one of fashion’s biggest nights, impressed audiences on September 13. Artists, actors and influencers took to the red carpet with outfits designed to fit this year’s theme, “American independence.”

Here are the best three looks of the night, scored for their aesthetics, theme and creativity.

3. Yara Shahidi

The “Grown-ish” star looked regal in floor-length custom Dior down with gorgeous detailing.

Aesthetics: 9/10

Shahidi wore a jeweled taupe-colored dress that complimented her skin perfectly.

The matching elbow-length gloves and flowing tulle veil add to the elegance of the princess-like ensemble. Her diamond choker and headpiece complete the outfit and reach the peak of glamour.

The Dior dress is a magnificent piece of art with sparkling, intricate beading, and her gloves were reminiscent of Old Hollywood enchantment. She was wearing a braided cap much like Josephine Baker wore. Her hair cannot be ignored, with neat, rounded and loose curls brushing against her bare shoulder. Shahidi’s makeup is subtle with a palette of complimentary, gorgeous pink shades sprinkled on her eyes and cheekbone.

If I had to critique her appearance, I would question the placement of her veil, which looks more like a cape tucked into the back of her dress. The positioning of the veil makes it look detachable. To create a more uniform look, I would have gone for the traditional route of uplifting the veil and attaching it to a hairpiece so the veil can flow starting from her head and not her back.

Theme: 8/10

Shahidi’s look was inspired by Josephine Baker, the 1920s entertainer and activist. Baker was a symbol of the revolutionary cultural trends that Black women in entertainment often set, but they are largely ignored in favor of their white counterparts. Shahidi honoring a Black trailblazer is prominent because American culture and fashion cannot be separated from the Black creators who innovate underappreciated stylistic trends.

However, you would not understand the symbolism from her dress alone. The dress took tidbits of Baker’s subtle outfits, and loses her essence. Baker was known for wearing banana skirts, experimental textures and stage costumes with feathers, fur, tassels and fringe. As a tribute to Baker, I would have gone with a risqué outfit consisting of a rhinestone-covered top and skirt set with fringe layers and a dramatic fur coat.

Creativity: 6/10

Shahidi receives the lowest mark in the creativity category. The dress, without context, is very traditional with the strapless neckline and A-line hemline. While the dress is stunning, it is not uncommon to see a similar looks on the red carpet. There is no unusual playfulness with the texture, cut, color or silhouette, but the dress is a twist on Baker’s style that works for Shahidi’s body.

2. Barbie Ferreira

The “Euphoria” actress dropped jaws in a pearl-encrusted off-the-shoulder dress. The dress was designed with hundreds of Swarovski crystals and took over 100 hours to make.

Aesthetics: 10/10

This look would make the 1920s Flappers dance with joy. One of the best features of the dress is the entwined pearl necklace. The way it stops hanging straight down and divides into multiple symmetrical strings of pearls on both sides is a genius design technique rarely seen before. The fun fringe bottom layer of the dress adds the bohemian vibe to this classy dress that is reminiscent of the get-loose attitude of the 1920s Flappers that Ferreria was inspired by.

Theme: 9/10 

Ferreria evokes the quintessential themes of two contrasting American cultural eras: 1920s practicality and the abstractness of art deco and feminine sensuality of the 1960s Hollywood starlet. Ferreira’s dress has a corset under bust and exaggerated cinched waist, replicating the body ideals of the time. The underlayer of her dress after her necklace detail cuts off at mid-thigh, toying with the provocative short hemlines of the 1920s. She plays peek-a-boo with the outer fringe layer her hemline, a popular detailing in the 1920s.

Creativity: 8/10

It was unique to combined two time periods together to make one stunning cohesive piece. The details of the dress were well thought out and, every aspect of it contributed significantly to the spirit of the dress. However, the 1920s aesthetic is overdone on the red carpet.

1. Iman

The iconic supermodel wore arguably the most breath-taking, opulent ensemble from Dolce x Gabbana.

Aesthetics: 10/10

There is not one flaw in Iman’s outfit. It is the perfect mix of dramatics, arts and beauty. From head to toe, this outfit is a magnificent show-stopper. Her headpiece resembles a textured sun, and the volume of her cage skirt is stunning. It looks light but sturdy, which is a good contrast to the heaviness of the headpiece.

Theme: 9/10

This is a theatrical outfit. I could easily see it in any fashion museum exhibit. The feathered headpiece and prominent jeweled designs seem to be an homage to the Las Vegas showgirl, one of the most prominent symbols of American live entertainment. They contributed to the unadulterated fun and magic of the Las Vegas entertainment scene.

Creativity: 10/10

Iman’s outfit broke the scale of creativity. Nothing like it has ever been seen on the red carpet. Uniqueness is what audiences are craving when they tune it to watch the Met Gala.

Iman’s voluminous cage skirt makes the outfit unique to her. She mysteriously maneuvers in that heavy, interesting silhouette. Each circular layer of the skirt flares out to be bigger and bigger. Its gold coloring with feather trimming matches perfectly with the other star of her outfit, the massive headpiece.

Her jumpsuit is a unconventional in a sea of dresses and it adds to her powerful goddess-like look. The jumpsuit could be a powerful statement on its own with its unique cracked pattern. The golden coloring with the dark, cracking pattern resembles a rock. While I do not know if this was purposeful, I believe the rock pattern of the jumpsuit just symbolizes the strength and power of  women.

Samourra Rene can be reached at s[email protected].