The Oscars of the fashion world (Met gala) takes place every year  on the first Monday in May. Each year a different theme is rolled out to inspire and guide the dress code of  attending celebrities

This 2018, the  theme was tagged “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” that means celebrities were to turn up in symbols of the catholic church- they could dress like nuns, accessorize with crucifixes, wear a priestly inspired papal gown- basically any insignia that defined the holy catholic church.

Well, it’s OK for fashion to take some inspiration from the church. But when it happens in Hollywood it tends to look like this….

Model Taylor Hill, 22, wore a black Diane Von Furstenberg – A skin-showing  version of a priest’s robes

The body on Kim Kardashian looked simply fabulous in a skin tight gown with two huge crucifix symbols

Jennifer Lopez wore a thigh high slit gown with a bold beaded catholic crucifix on her chest

Wearing the Pope’s mitre Rihanna, nice we see you, but the pope may not like those long endless legs, short skirts and bare shoulders. The mitre is a ceremonial head dress of Bishops

My religion is not your damn #Metgala2018 outfit

So impressive that the #METGALA18 packed in at least 250 years worth of blasphemy into just one night.

— Kristen Carney (@KristenCarney) May 8, 2018

There was outrage that followed, people found the outfits’ outright ridiculous and flat out offensive… sacrilegious.

People rightly assumed if it were hijabs & caricatures of Muslim clothing, everywhere would go up in flames.

These outfits are not glorifying the faith in any way. No other religion would be made fun of in this way.

But wait, holiest of holies, before you join the crowd to throw stones, the VATICAN officials said yes to the dresses

Archbishop Georg Gänswein gave the authorization to lend the catholic vestments to the Met gala team, He was also granted full access to the Sistine Chapel Sacristy.

The Met gala official who managed the relationship with the Vatican made 10 trips to Rome and became so close with its custodian priests that they entrusted him with the hidden chamber’s keys and opened secret doors, behind which elderly nuns ironed the pope’s white vestments.

But this agreement did not come easy, it was the culmination of years of negotiations, several visits to Rome, and walking the tightrope between the Met trustees and the many powers in the Vatican.

The archbishop gradually became enthusiastic as he and  the MET gala team discussed the role of beauty in the church , eventually they won him over. That’s how the theme  “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” came about.

We still have to give credit to some celebrities who nailed it respectfully

Image 1: Lana Del Rey, 32, had a heart chest piece pierces with swords often adorned on renderings of a mourning mary mother of Jesus. Jared Leto, 46, wore a crown around his hair inspired by the crown of thorns Jesus wore.

Image 2: Katie perry 33yrs rocking her angel wings

Image 3: Janelle Monae in a nun inspired outfit

So did they go too far,  or not. We wear costumes for christian drama(s) and stage plays. not a bad idea; but its a bit off when we make it sensual and sexy. #Hollywood.