Amidst the crush of silver and metallic gowns at last nightâs Met Gala, there was a notable contingent of stars in chic but street-ready coutureâparticularly footwearâthat may usher in a new frontier for red carpet dressing.
Weâve seen all manner of eccentric shoes at Met Galas past, from Sarah Jessica Parkerâs thigh-high velvet Christian Louboutin boots to Lady Gagaâs trademark heel-less platforms.
But the chunky, lace-up combat boots worn by a handful of A-listers last night were unprecedented at the Metâs Costume Institute Benefit Gala.
Selena Gomez wore a pair of heavy-soled black boots with contrasting white laces; Alicia Vikander, the Oscar-winning actress, wore a sportier version with red mesh, lace-up tops and a silver-painted toe; Michelle Williams wore a black pair with similarly sporty details; and Jennifer Connelly wore the military style in black patent leather.
Not coincidentally, they all came from Louis Vuittonâs Fall 2016 collection, one of the most acclaimed of the season that earned high marks for the brandâs artistic director, Nicolas Ghesquière.
During his nearly 15 years at Balenciaga, Ghesquièreâs most successful collections took inspiration from the streets, and he channeled that same energy for his latest Louis Vuitton collection.
The runway itself referenced the ruins of Atlantis, with Ghesquière remarking, âWe had an idea of this trip, of a woman who could be a digital heroine, like Tomb Raider, when she discovers an archaeological site.â
All the more fitting, then, that Vikanderâwho recently nabbed the coveted role of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider rebootâwore head-to-toe Louis Vuitton at the Met Gala.
She arrived early in a pieced-together apron dress with a red, patent leather bustier and sequin details that could have doubled as a waitressâ uniform in a space-themed restaurant, paired with roller skates instead of combat boots.
But Vikander somehow pulled it off, andâlike the other âdigital heroinesâ in Louis Vuittonâs boot squadâbounded effortlessly up the Metâs imposing staircase.
Vikander was photographed the day before the Gala in the same boots Selena Gomez wore on the red carpet, along with an LV slip dress with a leather bustier detail.
Hers was a head-to-toe look plucked directly from the Fall 2016 runway, with only a few singular touches added by Ghesquière.
Grimes draped a sporty, silk T-shirt dress over her combat boots in one of the least glamorous looks of the evening. Even Michelle Williams, the face of Louis Vuitton, looked somewhat drab in one of the eveningâs popular short dresses.
Vying for worst-dressed of the evening was Jennifer Connelly in an asymmetrical sequined frock, also from the Fall 2016 collection. (This was a look made for Courtney Love, not Jennifer Connelly.)
These combinations seemed underwhelming at the Met Gala, but it was refreshing to see Louis Vuittonâs stars eschew vertiginous, strappy stilettos for cool and comfortable footwear they could actually walk in.
Whether combat boots will be a mainstay on red carpets down the road remains to be seen. But Ghesquière reminded us that the rules of fashionâincluding the high-octane glamour expected at the Met Galaâare made to be broken.
Certainly, LVâs boot squad will get a hell of a lot more mileage out of their Met Gala footwear than their hobbling cohorts.