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digital get down
May 2, 2016

The Best, Worst, and Most Robotic Looks From the Met Ball

By Véronique Hyland

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Photo: Getty Images

As Met Gala themes go, “tech white tie” is pretty broad. Considering it could mean anything from robotic arms to Mark Zuckerberg’s gray T-shirts, it was anyone’s guess where the invitees would go with it. To inaugurate the Met’s brand-new “Manus x Machina” exhibit, they arrayed themselves as everything from C-3PO and C-3PO’s girlier cousin to an intergalactic waitress.

Some, like Sarah Jessica Parker, chose to evoke the past rather than the future, while others went full Tron. Were there robot arms? Oh, yes, there were robot arms. Click through the slideshow to see all the superlatives.

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1 / 18 Photos
Most Side-Ab-Centric Interpretation of “the Future”: Taylor Swift in Louis Vuitton With a harness detail and plenty of side exposure, this is Swi... Most Side-Ab-Centric Interpretation of “the Future”: Taylor Swift in Louis Vuitton With a harness detail and plenty of side exposure, this is Swift's version of Bad Sandy showing up to the carnival. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Most 1600s Interpretation of "the Future": Sarah Jessica Parker in Monse Hamilton jokes and Puffy Shirt references abounded as SJP, nev... Most 1600s Interpretation of "the Future": Sarah Jessica Parker in Monse Hamilton jokes and Puffy Shirt references abounded as SJP, never one to interpret a theme literally, opted for a doublet and pantaloons. Maybe she knows something we don't about what fashion trends will be next up for recycling (farewell, early aughts, hello Enlightenment?). Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Best Cyborg: Zayn in Versace In Versace (arms: designer unknown), Zayn stepped out in the latest phase of his reinvention: from boy-bander to sol... Best Cyborg: Zayn in Versace In Versace (arms: designer unknown), Zayn stepped out in the latest phase of his reinvention: from boy-bander to solo artist to, now, cyborg-in-progress. Quoth one person on my Twitter timeline, "omg lol wtf." Photo: Jamie McCarthy/2016 FilmMagic
Best Update to the Naked Dress: Beyoncé in Givenchy Beyoncé's 2016 answer to last year's naked-dressing spree: a skintight latex cr... Best Update to the Naked Dress: Beyoncé in Givenchy Beyoncé's 2016 answer to last year's naked-dressing spree: a skintight latex creation from Riccardo Tisci, the better to show off that couture body. As for the accessory of the year — her bat from Lemonade — it wasn't anywhere to be found.  Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Fewest Pants: Lady Gaga Gaga has reverted to her old ways with a formal leotard. Brava. Jazz Gaga was starting to grate on us. Photo: Larry Busa... Fewest Pants: Lady Gaga Gaga has reverted to her old ways with a formal leotard. Brava. Jazz Gaga was starting to grate on us. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Greatest Cruelty to Aprons: Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton From the waist up, this is one of those souvenir T-shirts with a bikini outline. Fro... Greatest Cruelty to Aprons: Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton From the waist up, this is one of those souvenir T-shirts with a bikini outline. From the waist down, it's an apron. We liked her Golden Globes interpretation of the silhouette, but this seems more like she's picking up an extra shift at an intergalactic restaurant. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Most Luddite: Tavi Gevinson in Coach In prairie-style ruffles and florals, Gevinson looks ready to throw herself bodily onto a loom mid–Industria... Most Luddite: Tavi Gevinson in Coach In prairie-style ruffles and florals, Gevinson looks ready to throw herself bodily onto a loom mid–Industrial Revolution.  Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Best Supermodel-Bot: Cindy Crawford in Balmain The original supe is showing those Instagirls (like Kendall, in Versace) how it's done. Photo: Ke... Best Supermodel-Bot: Cindy Crawford in Balmain The original supe is showing those Instagirls (like Kendall, in Versace) how it's done. Photo: Kevin Mazur/2016 Kevin Mazur
Best C-3PO: Julie Macklowe On a night like this, someone has to go full android, and Macklowe was up to the challenge. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016... Best C-3PO: Julie Macklowe On a night like this, someone has to go full android, and Macklowe was up to the challenge. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Best Future James Bond: Idris Elba in Tom Ford Consider this tux 'n' tails his audition. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Most Incognito: Will.i.am We hate small talk, too. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Florence Minus the Machine Award: Florence Welch in Gucci Welch leaned more toward the "manus" side of the equation with an iridescent ... Florence Minus the Machine Award: Florence Welch in Gucci Welch leaned more toward the "manus" side of the equation with an iridescent Alessandro Michele design that caused one Cut editor to dub her Formal She-Ra. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/2016 FilmMagic
Best Dressed Siblings: Willow and Jaden Smith in Chanel The Smiths are way ahead of all of you. They teleported here in Chanel, from the future. ... Best Dressed Siblings: Willow and Jaden Smith in Chanel The Smiths are way ahead of all of you. They teleported here in Chanel, from the future. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Best Look Involving a Tamagotchi: Katy Perry in Prada Not a lot of competition there. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Margo Channing "Buckle Up, It's Going to Be a Bumpy Night" Award: Nicki Minaj in Moschino Minaj saw "tech white tie" on the i... Margo Channing "Buckle Up, It's Going to Be a Bumpy Night" Award: Nicki Minaj in Moschino Minaj saw "tech white tie" on the invite and thought, Time to pile on the buckles. Preferably bedazzled ones. Oh, and gloves. Somehow, it works. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Silveriest Couple: Kimye in Balmain This is like a metallic version of the great Britney and Justin Denim Co-ordination of 2001. If ripped jeans ... Silveriest Couple: Kimye in Balmain This is like a metallic version of the great Britney and Justin Denim Co-ordination of 2001. If ripped jeans on the red carpet are the future, take us there now. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images
Best Subtle Lemonade Shout-out: Solange Knowles She hardly needs to say a thing: This hue — in her favored semi-circle shape — says it all for h... Best Subtle Lemonade Shout-out: Solange Knowles She hardly needs to say a thing: This hue — in her favored semi-circle shape — says it all for her. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/2016 Getty Images
Best Jenna Lyons Mini-Mes: Lyons, Lena Dunham, and Jenni Konner in J.Crew Meet J.Crew's two newest hires. Photo: Kevin Mazur/2016 Kevin Mazur
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  • manus x machina
  • fashions
  • fame
  • sarah jessica parker
  • cindy crawford
  • idris elba
  • will.i.am
  • florence welch
  • heidi klum
  • alicia vikander
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