When it comes to Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, you can always count on the two sisters to bring their A-game when it comes to fashion. Which is why it is no surprise that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's 2018 Met Gala looks were so on point. This year's theme is set to be one of the gala's most controversial, entitled “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination." Co-chaired by Amal Clooney, Donatella Versace, and fashion's reigning star, Rihanna, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the iconic fashion fundraiser.
But the goal of the theme isn't to politicize or toe the line of offending, but rather to highlight the long-standing relationship between fashion and religion, and how the two have influenced each other for centuries. “Fashion and religion have long been intertwined, mutually inspiring and informing one another,” head curator, Andrew Bolton, shared in a press release announcing the theme. “Although this relationship has been complex and sometimes contested, it has produced some of the most inventive and innovative creations in the history of fashion.” The exhibit itself will showcase "material Christianity" — like a papal garb on loan from the Sistine Chapel sacristy — but also collections where fashion and Catholicism clashed.
Seeing how complex and layered the theme is, fashion lovers have been looking forward to see how the red carpet would interpret the tricky subject this year. And the Olsen twins nailed it.
The two sisters are the designers behind the fashion label The Row, which is an upscale brand that specializes in minimalist, free-flowing pieces. On theme with their brand's aesthetic, the two showed up to the Gala's red carpet wearing minimalist boho-chic like pieces.
Mary Kate was dressed in a friar-like dress in black, with silver embellishments that made you think of a rosary-like shape across the neckline.
Ashley went a different route, choosing to put on a more medieval inspired robe, which looked like a tapestry of gold, red, and black hues, which are very in-theme with the church. The texture was a brocade print, which gives it a Vatican-like quality. She is also wearing a heavy chain necklace with a studded ball ornament in the middle, which also looks like a reiteration of a rosary.
The E! News anchors judging the red carpet looks joked that the Olsens always dress in that way, where it's very baggy and bohemian influenced, so their look wasn't too far off from their comfort zone. But even if that's true, you have to admit that they nailed the theme. They look like glamorous 16th-century priests.
To compare this year's look to the rest of their Met Gala interpretations, check out their greatest red carpet hits below.
2017: Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons
In 2017, the Met decided to break with tradition and honor a living designer with their exhibit: Rei Kawakubo. Kawakubo was the first living designer since Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 to be the subject of a whole exhibit, but seeing how genius her out-of-the-box thinking is when it comes to interpreting fashion, no one was surprised by the honor.
The Olsens showed up the red carpet in what looked like a throwback to their bohemian, early-aughts aesthetic, wearing lace, embroidery, and colored fur. It was a nod to the designer's “Broken Brides” collection of Fall 2005.
2016: Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology
The 2016 theme explored fashion in the age of technology, which investigated the blurring of the lines between handmade haute couture fashion and machine-made styles, as well as the technological feats that some designers have created and embraced (like 3D printing.)
While the exhibit juxtaposed handmade couture items like embroidery and lacework with machine-made designs that used laser cutting and thermo shaping, many A-listers interpreted the theme to be "futuristic," and showed up wearing robot-like designs.
The Olsens, however, wore simple black and gold contrasting column dresses, where Ashley also donned an elaborately embroidered gold duster jacket, honoring the theme.
2015: China: Through The Looking Glass
"China: Through The Looking Glass" was dedicated to Chinese fashion, where the exhibit showcased Chinese art entwined with collections created by mostly Western designers who interpreted Chinese designs.
The Olsens honored the theme by wearing Chinese silk dresses, where Mary Kate's was robe-inspired and cinched with a diamond broach, and Ashley's was a tiered chiffon look.
From embroidered duster jackets, to Victorian-like lace dresses, to heavenly maxi gowns, the Olsen twins never disappoint on a red carpet.
