Much like the Oscars, the best part about the Costume Institute gala is hopping online or scooping up the paper the day after to assess what everyone wore the night before. I myself spent an good hour with my editor giving a thorough “post-mortem” as she calls it, of the night’s triumphs and terrors. But while most of us have to wait ’till the next day to see these and other party snaps, lucky Shane Cisneros has the pleasure of beating us all to the punch. In his role as Getty Images’ in-house style expert, Cisneros attends fetes and previews all the VIPs party picts—and thereby knows about all the trends and highlights long before any magazines or tabloid glossies get their hands on them. Hot off the press, here’s his take on the sartorial spectacle that is the Costume Institute Gala:

PS: Stay tuned for more picts of the event, and for more party pict previews and style tidbits from Mr. Cisneros, be sure to check out his blog.

Shane Cisneros

Who do you think was the best-dressed looking female this year?
Kate Bosworth in a short champagne silk Prada dress. She looked happy, healthy and looked like she having more fun than anyone.

Jennifer Lopez (in a silver Marchesa stunner) manages to always get it right always because she knows it is about a total look. Everything worked from her hair, to her makeup, and accessories (her Rodger Viver clutch almost outshined her dress!). She is not afraid to own the looks she chooses and be the fashion plate she is.

Lucy Liu was so dramatic in her jewel toned Zac Posen. If you’re going to wear a train and tiara (Fred Leighton), this was the event to do so and she executed the look with panache and grace.

How about the boys?
Miss Bosworth knows how to pick good arm candy! Although a model genetically superior to the rest of us, James Rousseau wore his suit well and was perfect complement to Kate.

Liev Schreiber cleaned up nicely in his Tom Ford bespoke suit and was aware that this was a major fashion event not do the scruffy actor-I-don’t-care-about-fashion look. I wish some of his colleagues at the event would follow suit.

Harry Connick Jr. looked like a gentleman that he is, not too young or too stuffy—
Just right.

And the designers? What successes did you see there?
I loved that Zac Posen did not wear a standard tuxedo but chose grey instead; the penguin suit needs to go. He looked very debonair, young, and hip and those are three adjective that are very hard to pull off at the same time.

Karl Lagerfeld only wears a palette of black and white, if a designer is going to wear tux well it would be La Lagerfeld—the shoes were shined, the tie was skinny (which makes men’s torso’s look smaller), and who can resist rocking some sunglass at night?

Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera both wore their own collections through the eyes of Poriet and did so with aplomb. They looked like women not girls showing their clients that they can look great no matter what age you are.

What do you think the ultimate fashion faux pas is for the Met gala?
The Metropolitan Museum Of Art Costume Institute Gala is considered to be “the Oscars of fashion” so celebrities have a tendency to be theatrical but just because something looks good on a runway that does not mean it going to translate well in a photograph. Case in point: Sorry Kirsten, while it was adventurous, in the end whole ensemble did not work!

What is one of your most favorite Met gala look of all time?
Liv Tyler and Stella McCartney in their one-shouldered “rock royalty” t-shirts at The MET’s Costume Institute Gala celebrating “Rock Style” in 1999. Tyler and McCartney looked like party girls who just rolled out of bed and showed up on the grand staircase. Everyone is so safe, so I have a soft spot for rebellious fashion.

Who is your Met gala dream date & why?
Karl Lagerfeld because he would be endlessly entertaining and he would make me some custom Chanel homme.

What’s been your favorite Costume Institute exhibit so far and why?
Since I am a Chanel-o-phile (see above), so definitely show celebrating Chanel. It was almost eerie to see how Karl has interpreted the sprit of Coco and how Mademoiselle Chanel was so modern. Her designs today were just as relevant as when she was alive.

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