Celebrities at tonight’s Met Gala, themed “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” have largely interpreted the theme by wearing the most absolutely batshit fashion imaginable. Lady Gaga turned her entrance into a four-act play. Billy Porter was carried in like Cleopatra. And Jared Leto is totally twinning by bringing a way-too-lifelike model of his own head to the event. Is it camp? Possibly! Is it hilarious? Definitely!
Of course, Gucci favorite Leto is replicating the look seen on the brand’s fall-winter 2018 fashion show, where models walked the runway carrying their own heads. While the other looks on tonight’s red carpet have mostly inspired awe or total disbelief, Leto’s is the first to cause sheer need-new--pants terror.
Don’t disregard the rest of the look, either: a long red turtleneck dress with dangling string of diamonds falling over his shoulder. That alone may have outdone many of the dudes who have already walked the carpet, but Leto gets bonus points for making a strong case for the severed head as the best accessory of 2019.
And back to the question on everyone’s minds tonight: is it camp, though??? As Susan Sontag wrote in her “camp” dissertation, “Camp is art that proposes itself seriously, but cannot be taken altogether seriously because it is ‘too much.’” Leto’s head fits neatly right into that definition. Those lifelike heads are serious business—they reportedly cost about 10,000 euros—but they are ridiculous and funny. They are undeniably “too much.” Leto is embracing the humor, holding the head outside the top of his limo on the ride from his hotel to the Met, and then tossing it to Shawn Mendes on the pink carpet.
Gucci and Leto have been notable champions of camp over the past few years, so we knew he’d be one to watch at this year’s Met. We did not anticipate that he would bring himself as a date to the year’s biggest fashion event. That is true self-love. Or maybe not terribly self-loving, because now he’ll have to listen to people make corny jokes at him all night like, Don’t lose your head! But really, Leto, we’ll concur. Don’t lose your head—that thing’s expensive.