Game Of Thrones Prequel House Of The Dragon Trailer Brings Blood, Blonds And Beasts

Posted on 06/05/2022 by Boris Clair

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Let the fiery new trailer for the Game Of Thrones prequel series House Of The Dragon scorch whatever sour taste the end of the fantasy drama left behind.

HBO has unveiled an extended look at the forthcoming prequel set hundreds of years before the events of Thrones and based on author George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel, Fire & Blood.

The trailer attempts to capture much of what made the flagship series so successful: Dragons roar, families squabble and dynasties almost certainly crumble in the roughly minute-long clip, which puts the ruthless House Targaryen front and centre.

Sporting a set of blonder than blond wigs, King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and his children, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), rule over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros before, as Thrones history tells us, a brutal civil war tears the family apart.

Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen in House Of The Dragon.

The prequel series, however, begins with the Targaryens firmly seated on the Iron Throne, as we see glimpses of recognisable rivals Houses Stark, Velaryon, and Lannister pledging their allegiance to the family.

But in the trailer, the threats appear to be a bit closer to home. The Targaryen children openly thirst for power, with a woman warning the princess, who is named as the king’s heir, “Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne.”

As the title promises, there are dragons galore here ― the creatures were thought to be extinct at the start of Thrones ― with Smith’s character seemingly accessorising his outfits with a scaled dragon egg.

The trailer concludes with one of the fire-breathers doing what it does best, as an unseen character ominously says, “History does not remember blood. It remembers names.”

Scheduled to premiere 21 Aug on HBO and HBO Max, House Of The Dragon also stars Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno and Rhys Ifans.

Watch the official teaser trailer above.

Tory Council Leader Calls For Boris Johnson To Go After Labour Wins Cumberland

Posted on 06/05/2022 by Boris Clair

A Conservative council leader has said Tory MPs should try to oust Boris Johnson after his party suffered a humiliating defeat in a local election.

Conservative leader of Carlisle City Council, John Mallinson, vented his frustration after Labour picked up control of the new Cumberland authority after Thursday’s round voting.

The Tories lost 14 seats on the council in north west England, while Labour gained 12 and took overall control.

Mallinson, who will see the council he led replaced by the new Cumberland authority, told the BBC that he had “lost some very good colleagues” in the election, and had found it “difficult to drag the debate back to local issues” while campaigning because of partygate and the cost-of-living crisis.

Mallinson said: “I don’t think it was helping to get comments from people like George Eustice talking about people using value brands to ease their shopping bills. That just seems to have come over very patronising.”

He added: “I think it is not just partygate, there is the integrity issue. Basically I just don’t feel people any longer have the confidence that the prime minister can be relied upon to tell the truth.”

Asked if he thought Conservative MPs should oust the PM, Mallinson said: “That would be my preference, yes.”

Carlisle Tory councillor John Mallinson — a man I spent weeks of my life reporting on in early 2000s council meetings — drops a 3am bomb saying Boris Johnson should go as people don’t trust him to tell the truth. pic.twitter.com/QnH3WFe32P

— Callum May (@callummay) May 6, 2022

On Sky News, he said: “(Johnson) must shoulder a lot of the blame. I have been canvassing in rural areas over the last few weeks and it’s been the one issue that people have brought up time and time again. Partygate, the cost of living crisis, the feel that the government were not in touch … and sadly I have to say the prime minister cannot be relied upon to necessarily to be telling the truth.”

He added: “I think he should consider his position now.”

When asked whether the areas three Tory MPs in the region should attempt to oust Johnson, he replied: “I call upon them to do what they think is right.”

Meanwhile, Johnson’s Tories face losing control of a flagship London authority to Labour – but there was a mixed picture for Keir Starmer’s party outside the capital.

Wandsworth, which has been a Conservative authority for more than 40 years, looks set to fall to Labour, with the Tories fearing other boroughs will also be lost.

But outside London, the Liberal Democrats won Hull from Labour, while the Greens also picked up seats in contests around England.

Council seats are up for grabs in Scotland, Wales and many parts of England, while there are elections to Stormont in Northern Ireland.

Votes were only being counted in some of the English contests overnight, including key authorities in the capital.

What Doctors Want You To Know About Abortion Right Now

Posted on 05/05/2022 by Boris Clair

Since 1973, Roe v. Wade has protected the right of all Americans to access safe and legal abortions. But a leaked document published by Politico on Monday shows that the federal protections conferred by Roe may be struck down by the US Supreme Court this summer.

If Roe falls, the legality of abortion will be determined by each state. And though a handful of states are passing legislation that will protect the right to get an abortion, many others — 26 to be exact — are expected to quickly ban or restrict abortions.

If this happens, millions of people in the US will no longer be able to access safe abortion care within their communities. They’ll have to wait longer and travel farther to access help. The impact on people’s mental and physical health – along with their finances, families and livelihoods – will be astronomical.

Despite the misinformation that swirls around the internet (and beyond), abortions are extremely safe procedures. They’re also incredible common – about one in four women will have an abortion by the time they are 45 – and, in many cases, they are life-saving.

“It is a common procedure, it is very safe, and I can’t emphasise that enough. This draft ruling is egregious, it is a basically a war against women,” Dr. Melissa Simon, a Northwestern Medicine OB/GYN, tells HuffPost.

Here’s what people get wrong about abortion

One of the most common misconceptions about abortions is that the procedure is dangerous or detrimental to one’s health.

A report from 2018 examined the safety of various methods of abortion – medication, aspiration, dilation and evacuation, and induction – and concluded that abortions are safe and effective and that complications from all types of abortions are rare.

It’s the barriers and restrictions that legislators sign to prevent patients from easily and swiftly accessing abortion that jeopardise their health. It’s well known that delaying abortion care increases the risk of complications.

Some US states require doctors to tell their patients that there’s a link between breast cancer and abortion – despite the fact that many high-quality studies have put this question to rest, according to Dr. Jennifer Kerns, an associate professor in the department of obstetrics, gynaecology and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.

Others fear that abortions cause infertility, but research hasn’t found a link between abortions and the ability to conceive in the future. There’s also no evidence that abortions increase the risk of complications (ie. preterm birth or low birth weight delivery) in the event of a future pregnancy.

Another long-running mistruth is that abortions increase the risk of developing mental health issues. “There is a huge body of work demonstrating that abortion in and of itself does not cause mental health problems,” Kerns says, noting that people often feel relief after getting an abortion.

What we do know is that unwanted pregnancies can cause significant maternal depression and parenting stress. And those mental health issues don’t clear up with time; they are often long-lasting, afflicting the women who carried the unwanted pregnancies to term well into their 30s, 40s and 50s.

“Even in the setting of using contraception and safe-sex practices, having the option of an abortion is critical to the life and both physical and mental health of the woman.”

– Melissa Simon

Many people falsely believe pregnancy is easy to avoid, but it’s not that straightforward. Kerns sees many people, from all walks of life and phases of reproductive health, seeking an abortion. Contraception – though invaluable – is not foolproof. Birth control is not 100% effective; it can fail and lead to a pregnancy.

“Even in the setting of using contraception and safe-sex practices, having the option of an abortion is critical to the life and both physical and mental health of the woman,” Simon says.

Many anti-abortion bills have been labelled “heartbeat bills” because they ban abortions at the first sign of foetal cardiac activity. This nomenclature is wildly misleading – while primordial electrical activity can be detected around six weeks of pregnancy, this does not mean a foetus has a functioning heart. The heart, valves and vessels do not form until 16-18 weeks of pregnancy.

“Just having cardiac activity does not mean the foetus, if born at that moment, would be able to survive,” Simon says.

Restricting abortion impacts people’s health and livelihoods

Evidence shows that being denied an abortion has a devastating impact on one’s physical health, mental health and overall well-being.

The Turnaway Study, conducted by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, found that women who carry an unwanted pregnancy to term have a four times greater chance of being below the US federal poverty level.

They’re also more likely to experience serious health complications, such as eclampsia and death, and to develop mental health issues, including anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. They’re more likely to stick with an abusive partner; their life goals tend to take a back seat, and their families’ livelihoods suffer. Many go on to experience chronic pain.

“The health and welfare of the citizens of this country suffer – we see increased illness, we see increased poverty and we see increased death,” Kerns says.

“The health and welfare of the citizens of this country suffer — we see increased illness, we see increased poverty and we see increased death.”

– Jennifer Kerns

Restricting the right to an abortion does not mean the need for an abortion disappears. A recent study predicted that banning abortion will lead to a 21% increase in pregnancy-related deaths; that jumps to 33% among Black women.

Maternal mortality rates are at an all-time high. The US already has the highest maternal death rate among developed nations — and that crisis would only get worse without access to safe abortion.

“There are some women who get pregnant who could die if they continue with the pregnancy, and, therefore, an abortion is a life-saving procedure in those circumstances,” says Simon, adding that those circumstances are not rare. Abortions, in many cases, can save the life of the mother.

Here’s what the fall of Roe could mean for health care

Kerns said the leaked document demonstrates that the court is no longer a neutral group. “It really lays bare how out of touch their rulings are with people’s lives,” Kerns said.

Much of the language used in abortion restrictions and bans – like “abortionists” – really deeply divides people and shames those who get an abortion or provide an abortion.

Simon says the potential fall of Roe reflects a crisis in women’s health care, specifically when it comes to maternal health. The end of Roe would mark a war against women and people who can get pregnant, who, for the record, comprise over 50% of the US population, she adds.

Simon is exceedingly concerned about what will happen to the growing maternal death rate if Roe falls and safe abortion care becomes harder and harder to access.

“That is what I am very worried about in this country – that we are going to go even more in the wrong direction than we already are with respect to caring for over half of our population: women,” Simon says.

Inside Queer Britain, The UK’s First National LGBTQ+ Museum

Posted on 05/05/2022 by Boris Clair

A few students from nearby Central Saint Martins chat on the steps of the Queer Britain Museum, which is tucked away on one side of Granary Square in King’s Cross, London, on the ground floor of a large 19th century building.

After years in the making, this is the UK’s first permanent, national LGBTQ+ museum – and it’s much needed. As the founders point out, queer people have impacted every part of culture, yet all too often their lives have been written in the margins of history books. This is a space for queer history to be “preserved, explored and celebrated”.

The museum itself is all on one floor, spread across three rooms, and opens with ‘Welcome to Queer Britain’ – a display showcasing artwork from the LGBTQ+ community alongside historical photographs.

Once inside the step-free threshold, the gift shop to the left is most immediately obvious. Laden with colourful memorabilia, it’s got the usual staples: high-end chocolate, greetings cards and candles. But it’s clear that this is an LGBTQ+ space: a table of books curated by the Gay’s the Word bookshop sits in the centre, and there are plenty of rainbows – on badges, bottles and fridge magnets – plus Queer Britain’s own branded merchandise.

The museum comes after the successes of multiple temporary exhibitions in this area. Earlier this year, the Barbican held its Out and About! installation, exploring LGBTQ+ history in London, while last year, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh launched an online exhibition celebrating young Scottish LGBTQ+ people. Queer Britain will also not be the last: in June, another long-term LGBTQ+ cultural space in London will open, Queercircle in Greenwich.

In fact, Queer’s Britain’s co-founder and director Joseph Galliano explains that it was while at another LGBTQ+ exhibition, the Tate Britain’s Queer British Art, that his vision for a permanent museum really solidified. (Though, he had first had the idea as far back as 2007, when he was editor of Gay Times.) Held in 2017, the exhibit marked the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of male homosexuality.

“I was struck by the fact that so much momentum had been built up around that anniversary within the museums sector,” says Galliano. He spotted an “opportunity to take that momentum, and broaden it” with his vision of a bricks-and-mortar museum truly reflective of the UK’s LGBTQ+ community, including “women’s stories, people of colour, [and] trans people”.

With that, Galliano set about putting Queer Britain into action, which he co-founded with Ian Mehrtens alongside a diverse committee of trustees and advisors, including Stonewall co-founder Lisa Power, Trans Britain author Christine Burns, and gal-dem founder Liv Little.

“We made sure that the leadership structures are very diverse,” adds Galliano. Of his hopes for the museum, trustee Krishna Omkar says in an email: “Our relationship with our past defines our present, and helps direct what is to come. Telling stories that have remained untold, and collating a collective memory of the past is crucial. Representation matters. Remembrance matters.”

In the first room, there are two large images: Sadie Lee’s domineering oil painting of cabaret artist David Hoyle, whose eyes, shrouded in bright make-up, fixate on the viewer, plus Paul Harfleet’s aptly-named Cock of the Rock, named after the South American bird.

The second and largest room is split into two sections, the first dedicated to the topic of “chosen family”, originally shown by Queer Britain as a pop-up in collaboration with Levi’s in 2019. For this, a series of bright images by four artists – Alia Romagnoli, Bex Day, Kuba Ryniewicz and Robert Taylor – show the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, including people of colour and those of marginalised gender identities.

Also in this room are a series of wide-ranging historical photographs, dating as far back as the 1870s. These cover various milestones in the UK’s LGBTQ+ history, such as the introduction of Section 28 in 1988, which banned schools and local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality, and the legalisation of equal marriage from 2014 in England, Wales and Scotland (followed by Northern Ireland in 2020). Among the imagery are notable figures including Leo Abse, the MP behind the bill that partially decriminalised homosexuality in 1967; TV presenter Sandi Toksvig; and Margeurite Radclyffe Hall, who wrote the classic lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness.

The museum’s opening comes during a time of increased visibility for LGBTQ+ people, with millions tuning in to watch Netflix’s hit series Heartstopper. However, visibility and equality have not come hand-in-hand. Last December, it was reported that homophobic and transgender hate crimes soared in the summer of that year; in the five financial years up to 2021, anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes rose annually, according to official Home Offices figures.

The museum’s theme is generally jubilant and celebratory, though, with little on the harrowing parts of LGBTQ+ history. For instance, while the AIDS epidemic is briefly referenced, including with a photograph of Princess Diana comforting an HIV-positive man, the museum does not delve into the sheer tragedy of the thousands of gay and bisexual men whose lives were lost during this crisis. A placard highlights the accomplishments of Justin Fashanu, the first openly gay professional footballer – and Britain’s first black footballer to command a £1 million transfer fee – with no mention of his tragic early death, at the age of 37 by suicide.

For Galliano, it was a deliberate choice to focus on celebrating queer accomplishments, rather than the tragic parts. “There is stuff there that needs to be celebrated, rather than just always starting with the sad ending,” he explains. “That said we have to be telling hard stories and we have to be asking the hard questions.” Still, Galliano notes that displays may be adjusted depending on how they are received by the public.

Since being registered as a charity in 2018, Galliano explains how Queer Britain has come up against multiple challenges, most notably financially. “Funding was always a challenge from the start, [it] will always be a challenge,” he says. This is even more so given that entry to the museum is free, including for its exhibitions. “If we’re going to talk about inclusion, we need to talk about economic inclusion as well,” adds Galliano.

The space, too, leased from the Art Fund, came up in January, which, says Galliano, was “a year earlier than we were expecting…but it was too good an opportunity to not run full tilt”, and so what is on display was pulled together quickly, in time for this Spring opening.

In July, Queer Britain will host its first exhibition, marking the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first pride parade. Though Galliano is tight-lipped about its content, he says this will consist of a “heritage items and community voices” which will also go towards “addressing” representation of all four nations that make up the UK.

The current final room includes portraits from award-winning photographer Allie Crewe, which celebrate the trans and non-binary communities, and two images – both arresting and beautiful – donated by Robert Taylor, who is also a trustee of the museum.

For Galliano, this museum is all about giving back to the queer community, alongside showing the richness – and diversity – of its history, not only to those who are LGBTQ+, but also to their heterosexual counterparts. “I want queer people to feel celebrated, and belonging, and lifted up,” he says, “and all their friends and families to recognise [where] their stories start and the importance of those.”

Queer Britain opens May 5 2022 and is located at 2 Granary Square, London, N1C 4BH and open Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm – 6pm.

‘My Partner Is Watching Porn And Won’t Have Sex With Me’

Posted on 05/05/2022 by Boris Clair

You’re reading Love Stuck, where trained therapists answer your dating, sex and relationship dilemmas. You can submit a question here.

The topic of porn can be a taboo subject, but we need to talk about it – especially in relationships. This week’s reader, Jenny, wrote in to ask for advice related to her husband’s porn consumption.

“My partner is watching porn and won’t have sex with me,” she said. “I found out that my husband is into porn and he won’t turn from his ways. He’s pleasuring himself but won’t have sex with me, what should I do?”

Navigating a situation like this can be tricky, but Counselling Directory member Georgina Smith is here to help.

How can this reader speak to her husband about this?

“Like any difficult subject in a relationship, pick a time when you are both able to talk freely, raising it when you are both calm and able to discuss rationally, don’t wait until an argument,” Smith says.

“Invite some open conversation about his feelings around his porn habit and how that makes you feel – try to use empathy and good listening skills.

“Explore how you could find your way back to a sex life you both enjoy to feel more connected. You are entitled to express your desire for sex in a relationship and how their rejection may be causing you hurt.”

When does watching porn become an issue in a relationship?

Smith believes that watching porn in a relationship becomes an issue when it causes harm to the partner. “Some people perceive watching porn as a form of infidelity, especially if it is done in secret,” she says.

“If porn watching is essentially a substitution for actual sex and that is impacting on the relationship (by stopping a couple connecting via sex and intimacy), I would consider that to be an issue.

“If watching porn has become addictive (i.e. unable to stop even if viewer wants to stop) then that person may need specialist help.”

What should we do when porn becomes an issue in our relationship?

Smith emphasises that we should “communicate effectively around the subject, don’t avoid it just because it can sometimes be an uncomfortable conversation.”

“Try to understand where you are both coming from if you have opposing views around porn and figure out how you might find a common ground that keeps both of you happy,” Smith says.

“Get some couple counselling to unpack in a safe space and reflect individually why you feel the way you do about porn would be two helpful places to start.”

Love Stuck is for those who’ve hit a romantic wall, whether you’re single or have been coupled up for decades. With the help of trained sex and relationship therapists, HuffPost UK will help answer your dilemmas. Submit a question here.

‘Buy Value Brands,’ Minister Tells Families Struggling With Cost Of Living

Posted on 04/05/2022 by Boris Clair

Families struggling with the cost of living crisis should consider buying value products, a cabinet minister said today.

George Eustice said that by going for cheaper “value” goods, families can “contain and manage their household budget”.

The environment secretary said household spending on food in the UK was “the lowest in Europe” but sharp rises in other costs “adds to household pressures”.

He made the comments as shop prices increased at their fastest rate in more than a decade last month, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Asked what his advice was to people who want a Sunday roast with a chicken but cannot afford it, Eustice told Sky News: “Generally speaking, what people find is by going for some of the value brands rather than own-branded products – they can actually contain and manage their household budget.

“It will undoubtedly put a pressure on household budgets and, of course, it comes on top of those high gas prices as well.”

He said rising fertiliser and feed costs had hit the farming industry, partly as a result of soaring energy prices.

Eustice said the better news was that the UK has a “very competitive” retail market with 10 big supermarkets and the four main ones competing “very aggressively”.

He said this meant they competed to keep costs down on everyday value items such as spaghetti.

Eustice added: “Where it gets harder is on things like chicken and poultry, and some fresh produce, where those increased feed costs do end up getting passed through the system because these people work on wafer-thin margins and they have to pass that cost through.”

Shop prices are up 2.7 per cent on last year marking their highest rate of inflation since September 2011, figures show.

The impact of rising energy prices and the conflict in Ukraine continued to feed through into April’s retail prices, with no sign of them abating, according to the BRC-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index.

Global food prices have also reached record highs, seeing a 13 per cent rise on last month alone, and even higher for cooking oils and cereals amid warnings that they will place further upward pressure on UK food prices as they filter through the supply chain over coming months.

Non-food products, particularly furniture, electricals and books, have seen the highest rate of inflation since records began in 2006, accelerating to 2.2 per cent in April from 1.5 per cent in March, exacerbated by disruption at the world’s largest seaport, following Shanghai’s recent lockdown.

British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Retailers will continue to do all they can to keep prices down and deliver value for their customers by limiting price rises and expanding their value ranges, but this will put pressure on them to find cost-savings elsewhere.

“Unfortunately, customers should brace themselves for further price rises and a bumpy road ahead.”

Most Of Blake Lively’s Met Gala Looks Share A Satisfying But Overlooked Detail

Posted on 04/05/2022 by Boris Clair

We wouldn’t expect anything less from the woman who played Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl — a character who not only was fashion forward but also spent a lot of time on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

There has been a certain theory swirling around the internet about Blake Lively’s outfits at the Met Gala over the years — and learning it will further affirm her keen eye for pleasing aesthetics (which was already clear because, well, Ryan Reynolds).

As one Twitter user pointed out Monday night during the 2022 Met Gala, the actor has a tendency to match her outfit to the event’s red carpet.

So, let’s take a look and see if this theory rings true, shall we?

Here’s her outfit from the 2016 Gala:

Blake Lively at the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" event in 2016. — Blake Lively at the “Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology” event in 2016.

And here’s another number from 2017:

Lively at the 2017 Met Gala, which had the theme "Art of the In-Between." — Lively at the 2017 Met Gala, which had the theme “Art of the In-Between.”

Her 2018 dress seems to compliment the patterns on the red carpet:

Lively in 2018 at the gala for "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination." — Lively in 2018 at the gala for “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination.”

And her 2022 Met Gala gown seemed to follow the same theme:

The theme for 2022 — “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” — had a dress code of “gilded glamour.”

Theo Wargo via Getty Images

If the coordination is intentional, it’s unclear how Blake could pull it off — though she was a co-host at the 2022 event, which may explain her getting some intel.

According to a piece in Curbed about the history of the gala’s literal red carpet, more work goes into its design than one would think.

Phillip Bland, a decorative artist on Long Island who came into the job seven years ago after working with Anna Wintour on her various homes, is responsible for painting it. And although he’s one of the first people to know the gala’s theme each year, he implied that most celebrities are unaware of his final design.

“My hope is when the final design comes out, it doesn’t clash too much,” the designer says of the stars walking the carpet.

“If someone spent all this money on this beautiful dress and all of a sudden they get out there — I’m sure they don’t know what the carpet is gonna look like.”

Mm-hmm, sure. So we’re starting a new internet theory — that Blake’s got Phillip’s number in her contacts.

Met Gala 2022: The Bridgerton Cast Members Who Understood The Assignment

Posted on 03/05/2022 by Boris Clair

The 2022 Met Gala’s “gilded glamour” theme is one that should be all too familiar to Bridgerton stars.

Nicola Coughlan, best known for playing Penelope Featherington on the hit Netflix series, channeled her character with a regal pink-and-black dress with puff sleeves and, most appropriately, *feathers.*

Meanwhile, Simone Ashley, who starred as Kate Sharma in Season 2 of the period series, wowed in a corset and skirt with statement sleeves.

Fans were disappointed, however, when the diamond of Season 1 failed to produce the splendor they’re used to seeing on her in the Regency-era drama. Phoebe Dynevor, aka Daphne Bridgerton, left some onlookers underwhelmed in a relatively muted black dress.

From dramatic puff sleeves to corsets, ruffles, lace floral prints and opulent jewelry, Shonda Rhimes’ adaptation of Julia Quinn’s novels has been filled with fashion statements.

Fans expected that to align with the theme of 2022′s Met Gala, which asked attendees to “embody the grandeur — and perhaps the dichotomy — of Gilded Age New York.”

The one Bridgerton character who really would have met the brief, sadly, did not make an appearance.

Blake Lively’s Met Gala Dress Had A Surprise That Made The Crowd Roar

Posted on 03/05/2022 by Boris Clair

If anyone knows how to steal the show, it’s Blake Lively.

Lively, who’s co-chair of this year’s Met Gala alongside her husband Ryan Reynolds, ignited the red carpet with her arrival on Monday evening.

Donning a copper Atelier Versace gown, Blake and her assistants performed an unexpected switch-a-roo right in the middle of the carpet.

Her bow-embellished dress metamorphosed into an aqua blue showstopper as her assistants helped ‘unwrap’ it on the red carpet.

“I arrived copper and then, like New York City classic architecture, I patinaed,” the actor said of her unveiling.

Resembling iconic New York City landmarks like the Empire State Building, the dress was accessorised with a crown featuring seven spikes in a nod to the Statue of Liberty.

The Gossip Girl star said this year’s event was “especially nerve-wracking.” “Being one of the hosts, you really feel like you need to bring your A-game,” she said.

This year’s Met Gala theme was In America: An Anthology of Fashion, but Blake put her own twist on it by representing New York and focusing on the “architecture rather than just the fashion.”

The actor has dominated the Met Gala red carpet over the years, and she has yet to disappoint.

At the 2018 Gala, themed Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, she sported a crimson Versace gown with an embroidered bodice, an extra-long train and lots of bejeweled action. The entire ensemble took 600 hours to make by hand.

Met Gala 2022 Red Carpet: See All The Best And Most WTF Looks

Posted on 03/05/2022 by Boris Clair

The Met Gala is here for 2022 — the biggest night in fashion— was back again on Monday evening.

Just eight short months after we kinda sorta saw Kim Kardashian in her infamous all-black look at the Met Gala in 2021.

Vogue’s annual fashion extravaganza at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has traditionally taken place during the first Monday in May. But thanks to Covid, last year’s fashion fete got bumped from spring to September. So if you thought you were partaking in the great pandemic tradition of questioning your sense of time, don’t worry. You’re fine.

But if you’re wondering about the theme of Monday night’s event, be prepared to be perplexed once more.

The theme this year was In America: An Anthology of Fashion, which is a sequel to last year’s theme, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. People described the dress code as white-tie with an emphasis on “Gilded Glamour.”

The Gilded Age was a tumultuous period between the Civil War and the turn of the 20th century that was known for robber barons, drama and grandeur. It was also a time of social inequality, in which a small population of elite folks enjoyed oodles of wealth. Think: John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt and J.P. Morgan — and Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) and her fabulous, over-the-top hats in HBO’s The Gilded Age.

There weren’t a ton of hats at the 2022 Met Gala, but there were plenty of capes, bodices and dramatic colours, plus a pirate of two (we’re looking at you, Shawn Mendes and Lenny Kravitz) and what appeared to be, uh, gilded pasties (see: Cara Delevingne).

Kim Kardashian’s nod to America of yore was sporting the iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore to sing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy. The reality star didn’t quite nail Monroe’s signature hairdo, opting instead for a slicked-back look.