One garment I really love is the “wet dress” Kim Kardashian wore to the 2019 Met Gala. The dress was designed by French fashion designer Thierry Mugler who came out of a 20-year retirement to create the piece. The dress is made out of latex and clear beads, and took eight months to create.
I love this piece because every aspect of the designed works together perfectly to communicate the central concept: stepping out of the ocean dripping wet. I find it fantastic how the designer used latex to simulate the look of wet cloth. The bunching of the material, the sequins, and of course the hanging beads all come together to communicate wetness without any water at all. This piece inspires me to think about how materials can be used in different ways in order to subvert our expectations of the material and even create illusions.