Anna Wintour, Blake Lively among the stars to wear tiaras to the Met Gala

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Written by Oscar Holland, CNN

Collaborators Nick RemsenCNN

With a dress code honoring America’s Gilded Age, Met Gala guests looked to the past for inspiration. And there was one accessory that stole the show on Monday night: the vintage tiara.

Actress Tommy Dorfman and YouTuber Emma Chamberlain were among the celebrities wearing crowns from multiple generations. However, it was the editors of Vogue magazine, organizers of the glamorous annual fundraiser, who led by example.

The evening’s host, Anna Wintour, swapped her signature sunglasses for a sparkly tiara. Speaking to reporters on the red carpet, Vogue’s longtime editor-in-chief revealed that the jewel-encrusted item was a family heirloom dating from around 1910.

Hamish Bowles attended the Met Gala wearing a 1950s gold feather tiara. Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Meanwhile, the magazine’s global managing editor, Hamish Bowles, opted for a gold feathered tiara, adding a bit of sparkle to his white-tie outfit. In an Instagram post, he revealed that he was designed by Fulco di Verdura, an Italian duke and jeweler who worked with Chanel in the 1920s and 1930s.

Bowles explained that it had been designed for philanthropist Betsey Whitney to wear to a ball at London’s Buckingham Palace in 1957 and has not been worn in public since, he added.

“I saw it (at) chez Verdura a decade or more ago, fell in love with it and never thought I would one day have my Eliza Doolittle moment wearing it,” she explained in the caption.

YouTuber Emma Chamberlain wore a vintage Cartier crown.

YouTuber Emma Chamberlain wore a vintage Cartier crown. Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

The issue spanned generations, with Chamberlain donning a tiara made by Cartier in 1911, nine decades before she was born. She completed the look with a Louis Vuitton crop top and a floor-length white shirt.

Elsewhere, Dorfman accessorized her sassy Christopher Kane cut-out gown with a handbag that read “Protect Trans Kids” and a chic vintage tiara. He told People magazine that his crown was “almost 200 years old, which is pretty cool.”

There were plenty of other headwear on display, with hats and headdresses being seen throughout the night. Among the most dramatic was model Winnie Harlow’s headdress, designed by Iris Van Herpen. Meanwhile, Sarah Jessica Parker enlisted milliner Philip Treacy for her stunning feathered design.

Tommy Dorfman said that her tiara was nearly 200 years old.

Tommy Dorfman said that her tiara was nearly 200 years old. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for the Met Museum

One of the night’s co-hosts, Blake Lively, took a more contemporary approach with a custom-designed tiara by jeweler Lorraine Schwartz.

Honoring the architecture of the Gilded Age in New York City, the star’s outfit nodded to the Statue of Liberty, with the 7 points of the crown, like those of Lady Liberty, symbolizing the seven continents . Lively also asked Schwartz to submit 25 stones to represent the 25 windows of the iconic statue.
Blake Lively's custom tiara honored the Statue of Liberty.

Blake Lively’s custom tiara honored the Statue of Liberty. Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

“‘Who’s really going to be counting the stones?'” he recalled Schwartz asking him. “‘Me,'” she replied with a laugh. “I am a Virgo.”

Top Image Caption: Anna Wintour at the Met Gala.

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