Blake Lively's iconic Met Gala look featured an adorable secret message to her husband Ryan Reynolds and their kids
This year's Met Gala served up some of the most opulent ensembles the highly anticipated fashion event has every seen. The theme of Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination saw fashion designers take inspiration from everything including angels (Katy Perry), the Sistine Chapel (Ariana Grande), the stained glass windows of churches (Gigi Hadid) and even the Pope himself (Rihanna, because who else?).
But of all the red carpet looks from the 2018 event held at New York's Metropolitan Museum, Blake Lively's stole the show. The 30-year-old wore a scarlet custom-made Versace gown made of silk, velvet and a buttload of jewels. Blake was a big fan, writing in an Instagram post that the dress "should’ve been IN the museum".
The Atelier Versace gown featured a very OTT skit with sheer paneling and a super long embroidered train. According to Vogue, the train was so massive that she arrived at the Monday event in a party bus. The flattering corset-style bodice was fully encrusted with colored crystals, and it was covered in so many beads that it took more than 600 hours to create.
She looked AH-MAZING, but I have a feeling you'll fall in love with the ensemble even more when you learn that Blake had a special tribute stitched into her look. The mother-of-two was able to sneak a special message to her husband, Ryan Reynolds, into the look, as well as for their two daughters, Ines and James.
With everything that's going on with the dress, it's not hard to see why we overlooked the detail. The sartorial nod to her family can be found in one of her accessories – not in her gold halo crown, not in her Louboutin shoes, but on the small beaded clutch she held close during the course of the evening.
Covered in tiny, multicolored rhinestones arranged into images, the custom-made Judith Leiber clutch kept to the theme with a medieval-mosaic feel. The front depicted a veiled woman and the "sacred heart" symbol of Roman Catholic devotions.
Credit: Instagram / @judithleiberny
But turn it around and you have something completely different. Here, Blake got a medieval-inspired family crest made of her family. Above a banner with "Reynolds" written across it, a bold cross takes up the center of the clutch with four initials placed at the end of each point – B, J, I and R – for Blake, James, Ines and Ryan. Adorable!
Credit: Instagram / @judithleiberny
The clutch seamlessly matched with the rest of her ensemble, which Blake admitted had very Game of Thrones-ey vibes. "Winter is coming," she captioned an image of her look, in which she does look very Lannister-like.
Back in March, Blake spoke to Vogue about the Versace dress, which she said they'd been working on for ages. "This year’s may be my favorite dress ever," she said. "They’ve already worked on it for 600 hours, and it’s not done."
Well, with the attention to detail on every inch of her look, it's not hard to believe why. I wonder what's in store for next year?