Imagine this: the Met Gala lands in the Philippines, just in time for Flores de Mayo. The result? Flores de Met-yo—a red carpet event where ternos twirl, lechon glistens, and fashion meets fiesta in full, fabulous force.
This year’s theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” with the dress code “Tailored for You,” honored Black elegance, dandyism, and the power of self-styling. Thoughtful, precise—but ripe for reinvention, pinoy-style.
Picture this: Not Anna Wintour’s icy front-row stare, but Mama Renee Salud, one perfectly arched eyebrow lifted, quietly judging from behind oversized shades as the beso-beso brigade makes their entrance. The theme? Class Reunion: Who’s More Bongga Now? It’s the ultimate comeback catwalk — former campus crushes, now CEOs and content queens, pulling up in Tesla-level tricycles, draped in designer meets Divisoria. Every outfit screams ‘I made it,’ every greeting is part chika, part subtle flex. Call it Sagala with a vengeance, where the crown isn’t for Reyna Elena — it’s for who slayed the glow-up.
I wasn’t exactly invited, but with a borrowed lanyard and a whisper of kapal ng mukha, I slipped in—straight to the lechon carving station, naturally. Because in true Filipino form, the best critiques are served beside the crispy skin.
Tailored to Win: Best-Dressed Reimaginings
Zendaya: Reina Elena, Reincarnated
From Louis Vuitton zoot suit to a barong blazer paired with a sweeping terno skirt embroidered with Ibong Adarna fantasies.
“Parang Reina Elena, pero from the multiverse,” a tita muttered. “Barangay captain energy.”
Cardi B: Cathedral Couture
Tulle becomes testimony in a sculpted Filipiniana shaped like San Sebastian’s dome.
“Altar sa Intramuros—pero fierce,” whispered someone. “Baka may novena yung train.”
Colman Domingo: Mystical Ninong Energy
In Valentino in New York; in Manila, he’s radiant in handwoven piña and an Ifugao cape, like a fashion high priest of heritage.
“Tito sa prenup shoot, pero may agimat.”
Mindy Kaling: Sampaguita Minimalist
Sheer piña, floral appliqués, and the grace of a sagala on Sunday.
“Float sa Pahiyas, pero curated,” someone near the kutsinta offered.
Off Theme but On the Carpet
Lisa of BLACKPINK: Rizal Park Redux
A look meant for civil rights discourse, but here?
“Jose Rizal cosplay. Walang context.”
Hailey Bieber: Pang-Grocery Glam
Simple black blazer. Chic, but uninspired.
“Parang pupunta ng SM. May glam, pero walang theme.”
Kim Kardashian: MRT to Met Realness
Black leather and high gloss.
“Parang galing Babe Auto Upholstery. Diretso Commonwealth to gala.”
Sydney Sweeney: Teleserye Flashback
She shimmered, but missed the Filipino spirit.
“Ganda niya, pero parang may amnesia.”
Final Verdict: Where Couture Meets Kare-Kare
If the Met Gala were truly Pinoy, there’d be a lechon carving station beside the step-and-repeat, a kakanin station by the valet, and the afterparty? Vikings buffet. Para sulit!
Fashion here isn’t about subtlety — it’s a loud, joyful language stitched with history, humor, and home. Think barongs with butterfly sleeves that could catch a habagat, elevator tsinelas clacking like church bells, Swarovski-studded anting-anting swinging on proud chests, and shawls as long as the buffet table’s skirting — because why serve a look if it doesn’t double as a table runner? Skirts are slit to kingdom come, and modesty ends where the procession begins. Met Gala or class reunion, the goal is the same: to be the undisputed star of the ball.
But let’s be honest. We’ve always had the Met in us. We just call it–reunion season.
