Sport dazzles in style at the Met Gala (2021) 1:54
(CNN) — With a dress code that honors America’s golden age, Met Gala guests looked to the past for inspiration. And there was one accessory that stole the show on Monday night: the vintage tiara.
Actress Tommy Dorfman and YouTuber Emma Chamberlain were among celebrities to wear multi-generational crowns. However, it was the editors of Vogue magazine, organizers of the glamorous annual fundraiser, who led the way.
The evening’s host, Anna Wintour, swapped her signature sunglasses for a sparkling tiara. Speaking to reporters on the red carpet, Vogue’s longtime editor-in-chief revealed the jeweled piece was a family heirloom from around 1910.
Anna Wintour at the Met Gala. (Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images)
The magazine’s global editor-in-chief, Hamish Bowles, meanwhile, opted for a gold feathered tiara to add a bit of sparkle to his white tie outfit. In an Instagram post, she revealed that it was designed by Fulco di Verdura, an Italian duke and jeweler who had worked with Chanel in the 1920s and 1930s.
Bowles explained that it was designed for philanthropist Betsey Whitney to wear to a ball at London’s Buckingham Palace in 1957, adding that it has not been worn in public since.
Hamish Bowles attended the Met Gala wearing a 1950s gold feather tiara. Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
“I saw it at chez Verdura a decade or more ago, fell in love with it and never thought that one day I would wear it in my Eliza Doolittle moment,” she explained in the caption that accompanied the photo.
Spending spanned generations, and Chamberlain wore a tiara made by Cartier in 1911, nine decades before she was born. She completed the look with a Louis Vuitton crop top and a floor-length white blouse.
YouTuber Emma Chamberlain wore a vintage Cartier crown. Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
For her part, Dorfman accessorized her cheeky cut-out Christopher Kane dress with a purse that read “Protect Trans Kids” and a chic vintage tiara. He told People magazine that his crown “was almost 200 years old, which is pretty cool.”
Tommy Dorfman said her tiara is almost 200 years old. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for the Met Museum
There was plenty of other headwear on display, with hats and headgear being on display throughout the night. Among the most dramatic was model Winnie Harlow’s headdress, designed by Iris Van Herpen. Meanwhile, Sarah Jessica Parker hired milliner Philip Treacy to create her stunning feather design.
One of the evening’s co-hosts, Blake Lively, took a more contemporary approach with a tiara custom-made by jeweler Lorraine Schwartz.
Blake Lively’s custom tiara was a tribute to the Statue of Liberty. Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
In honor of New York City’s Golden Age architecture, the star’s outfit made a nod to the Statue of Liberty, with the 7 points of the crown, like Lady Liberty’s, symbolizing the seven continents. Lively also asked Schwartz to submit 25 stones to represent the iconic statue’s 25 windows.
“‘Who’s really going to count the stones?'” he recalled when asked by Schwartz. “Me,” she replied, laughing. “I am a virgin.”