Our Fashionistas Rank The X-Men’s High Fashion Hellfire Gala Looks

This has been a big week for the X-Men. Yes, there’s been the normal amount of violence, deception, and angst, but moreover there’s been FASHION. 

In anticipation of the upcoming Hellfire Gala which kicks off in June, Marvel gave us a sneak peek at some of the couture looks our favorite mutants will be donning. Courtesy of Russell Dauterman–who has already given Emma a closet full of killer outfits in Marauders–these designs were not only inspired by each character, but by couture designers like Alexander McQueen, Versace, Vivian Westwood, and more. 

Now, these looks have inspired DISCOURSE so the staff at CXF did their due diligence and voted on their favorites so you dear reader could have a comprehensive ranking. And with journalistic integrity at stake, Emily Harding and Andrea Ayres are here to critique those critiques and prove why the majority of our CXF family is wrong. 

12: ANGEL

EH: This was voted last? How is that even possible?! I have been waiting YEARS for Warren to remember how much he hates wearing clothes and let me tell you, this look makes it all worth it. Dauterman somehow manages to capture those halcyon days when Warren walked around in nothing but his underwear and a bathrobe and made it couture. We’re definitely channeling some Palomo Spain Spring 2020 energy and I am here for all of it. 

AA: I just feel like this reminds me too much of a choir uniform from Advanced Ensemble in high school. It is the pseudo-cumberbund. I think the most iconic detail is the back. Glad we get some like Versace-esque loafer shoes though. I’m feeling those in suede or velvet? I want one.

EH: Very true. I also love that Dauterman said this look “skews more toward human clothes since he’s interacting with the human business world” because it taught me that I’ve been attending all the wrong business meetings. 

AA: I will say an opportunity was missed by not making a massive billowy cape. Like, imagine the drama. Thinking of McQueen’s‘ Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ c. 2002. That would have been legendary, but perhaps too much fabric for Warren. Absolutely waiting on Hot Topic to rip these designs; it’s happening and you know it is. Cheers to the liberated nipple.

11: CYCLOPS

EH: This is Judge Dredd. He dressed up like Judge Dredd.

AA: I have nothing else to add.

10: RACHEL SUMMERS

AA: Listen, Rachel at 10 is honestly a travesty. We’ve got some Giuseppe Zanotti-inspired footwear, we’ve got freakin’ spikes. I want it spikier, I want it to make people even more upset. The idea that people have an adverse reaction to it, I kind of love? Like yes, I hope the aggressiveness of the costume is upsetting. Fashion should make you feel something and this one definitely seems to have poked a nerve. If anything, I wish we got more of a sense of the construction of each piece with regards to Rachel’s powers and how they might shape the piece depending on what she’s able to sense? Either way, this is an energy that I feel deeply.

EH: I agree with you, this one is definitely working for me. It reminds me of an Atsuko Kudo latex ensemble in the best possible way. Dauterman says he went for a look that was meant to be “organic and weird” which apparently means embracing Rachel’s previous Hound look and saying “fuck it, we’re taking it to 11.” The fact that she probably wants to wear this every other day of the year only makes it better. 

9: MARVEL GIRL

EH: This one wasn’t popular with CXF staff and I’m of two minds about it myself. That wasn’t even a Jean/Maddy joke, I’m actually torn on this one. It’s an homage to past costumes while also creating something new; a sophisticated look that’s also daring. To be honest, it’s what she’s deserved since she arrived on Krakoa in that green minidress that she somehow STILL had in her closet somewhere. This looks more like the signature costume she should have had at the beginning of this new chapter rather than a gala look. 

AA: What the heck all of my favs ended up so low. I ended up liking this because I’m a biased hack. I’ll come right out and admit it? I am a fan of the boot and the boot is what sold me. Like anyone who has watched Project Runway, we love a back window. I also can’t help but think of Kim Kardashian wearing Schiaparelli Haute Couture on Christmas Eve? The molded bodice is what is giving me those vibes I think. That said, Michael Kors would call this look too derivative.

8: CAPTAIN BRITAIN

EH: Okay, this is very British and very in keeping with her current look. Dauterman says he mixed aspects of Betsy’s classic costumes to come up with this but I wish he went a bit further back in her closet. I say that because I think I’m the only person still holding out hope that her 80s cold shoulder look will make an appearance again. That said, this outfit is exactly what Vivian Westwood would design for her to wear to the Hellfire Gala, and that alone hits the mark.

AA: Absolutely, Westwood is the first designer that comes to mind. I am happy that Dauterman is giving the ladies some wedges to wear. Wedges are so easy to walk in like you could wear a five-inch wedge with no problem. Put me in a five-inch stiletto? Disaster. I think we need to re-write these character descriptions with actual make-up cards because this is not Dauterman’s strong area “make-up not mask.” This is not cutting it for me. I also am desperate to know what materials the costumes are made from.

7: M

EH: What is this even doing at 7. Who among the CXF staff do I have to talk to about this. [Ed. note: it’s Ian and Jude.

AA: The fascinator is the only thing I like (and the gloves). I just…this doesn’t feel special enough for Monet. Like, no she is absolutely not coming to a gala in what looks like an off-the-rack Urban Outfitters jumpsuit okay? That is not what she’s going to do. 

EH: Yes, I love the Penance fascinator and let’s be honest, I will always have time for half-palm gloves, but the rest of it just doesn’t feel gala-worthy. Maybe it’s the sheer wide-leg pants? We already attempted this trend back in 2018 and if anyone would remember that, it would be Monet.

AA: Also, we cannot have cutouts and sheer leg panels, and those shoes together. This is not working for me on any level and it just doesn’t seem that interesting or fashion-forward. I love a boob window, I wore boob windows in high school and got yelled at by the hall monitors but not like this, never like this. M should be in Saint Laurent as far as I’m concerned.

6: THE RED QUEEN

EH: This one really split the CXF fam but let me just say: half of you are wrong because this is not good. 

AA: I am so upset by the boots. I am so upset by the boots. 

EH: The boots…The coat dress thing…

AA: There’s too much coverage and competing volume that I just cannot get behind. I also have deep derision for asymmetrical hems because they were around for Too Long IMHO. 

EH: I appreciate the nod to her current pirate-inspired costume, I just don’t think she needs to stay on brand this much. To be honest though, I’ve never thought the pirate look translated to high fashion. Didn’t work for me when Jean Paul Gaultier tried it in 2008 and doesn’t work for me here.

AA: Okay, no you know what the more I look at this, the more upset I am. The materials are all competing with one another. What is the coat made out of? The boots are leather? Then we have the competing embellishments. Where’s the editing eye? That neckline is causing me angst. No. I’m upset now. I want fantasy, I want fashion to seem impossible.

5: EMMA (LOOK #1)

EH: Dauterman has never been more right than in his decision to give Emma three distinct outfits for the Hellfire Gala; there is no doubt in my mind that Emma would require at least one costume change mind-party. That said, this is my least favorite of the three, mostly because I don’t think Emma would wear something that swamped her body like this. The peekaboo X panel in the front is a nice touch, but I almost wish it was mini skirt length instead of to the floor. More Saint Laurent, less White Witch of Narnia.

AA: Totally agree with you here, especially your last point. This one doesn’t work for me because I feel like there’s something too expected somehow? I appreciate what it’s trying for but this one just doesn’t bang for me. Very Gaga vibes.

4: EMMA (LOOK #2)

EH: Love this look, particularly the McQueen-inspired heels. My only complaint is that, while this is extra, Emma is always extra. Fascinator notwithstanding, this look doesn’t differ that much from what she might wear on a Tuesday coffee run. I feel like her gala outfit needs to be extra extra.

AA: Okay, I totally agree but I’m also a right bitch ass tart for a blazer look. This also makes me feel like she might break out into some sort of a Fosse-dance. I will say, I love a blunt bob. I hope the blunt bob never goes away because I think they make everyone look fierce as hell. I volunteer to help Emma do all these costume changes. 

3: STORM

EH: This one was a big hit with a lot of the CXF staff and those staff members have good taste. The bodice reminds me a lot of those molded bustiers from Schiaparelli Spring 2021, which I’m not really a fan of but really works here because the stacked bracelets and necklaces balance out the entire look. The curved wedge shoe is also giving me extreme Alexander McQueen 2011 vibes, which is a good thing. We already know Ororo is a fan of McQueen after she wore a dress from his posthumous Fall 2010 collection to Kate’s wedding-not-wedding, so whether this is an intentional nod by Dauterman or not, I appreciate it.

And, I mean, shoulder pads. You had me at shoulder pads.

AA: Immediately was reminded of the updated Schiaparelli gloves Beyonce wore to the Grammys. Fun fact: the gloves are based on a pair from Elsa Schiaparelli’s circa 1936 and were updated by Daniel Rosberry for Schiaparelli for 2021. So much of me wishes there were more details regarding make-up and hair, but I’m being pretty nit-picky. I can absolutely see the McQueen inspiration. Listen, give me a pair of shoulder pads that keep people as far away from me as humanly possible and you are going to have a fan. I think Dauterman is arguably the most playful with thinking about Storm’s costume design. The use of a storm as a cape would lead to some pretty iconic photos. 

2: EMMA (LOOK #3)

EH: This. Is. The. One. The half-palm gloves, the diamond strands, the fact that she is in her DIAMOND FORM FOR ALL OF IT? I mean, that is extra extra EXTRA. 

AA: See-through dresses have given us so much over these past few decades. This is 2014 Rhianna in Adam Selman at the CFDA’s level of extra. Even a bit of Rami Kadi’s Spring/Summer 2019 with that slit action TBH. MAYBE even some Balmain? I mean obviously, Dauterman is drawing from a bunch of different styles. Either way, this is the Emma-fit I feel the most.

1: ROGUE

AA: ROGUE is number one? Okay, yes it is her. But, did people see Storm? Did people see Rachel? Are we living in the same universe? 

EH: This looks like it was just manifested from a Martin Margiela’s fever dream and it is perfection. There is nothing I would change. It’s nostalgic (the belt!), it’s modern (the collar!), and most importantly, it’s so her. 

AA: I think we can both agree this is some Versace shit. Listen, I love the collar. It almost works for me but that lace bodysuit is kind of killing me and not in a good way. I have a bias against mixing too many elements like you can’t have lace and shine, and embellishment, and boots, and a statement collar, and sunglasses. You can have some but doing all those things takes the impact of the collar for me. I do want those sunnies though.

EH: Listen, fashion is hard and even harder when you add superheroes into the mix. Overall, I really love the looks Dauterman came up with and hope we see more galas in the future. But I hope Marvel uses it as an opportunity to branch out too. I harp on about Jean’s wedding dress (because it was a MOMENT) but the fact that it was not only gorgeous but designed by Nicole Miller was a big deal. There’s an opportunity here for designers, especially marginalized ones, to have their looks seen by a larger audience–Marvel should capitalize on it. 

Also, not enough CXF staff appreciate topless men’s fashion and I think that’s a tragedy.

AA: Please, Marvel. Call me about make-up. We can collab, seriously why aren’t you working with MAC cosmetics on this already? Do you have any idea the kind of cash you are leaving on the table? WTF.

To take this slightly more seriously, I think fashion is at its best when it does the totally unexpected when it upsets you or causes an emotional response one way or the other. For my money, there were only two or three outfits that did that for me here. I think there is something too restrained about some of the looks, or heck even all of them. When there is no need to consider the constraints of creating these works IRL, there should be no limit. The fact that these outfits do remind me so much of other dresses and gowns we have seen before tells me that these didn’t go far enough. Why not make Storm’s outfit entirely constructed out of you know, a weather system. This is a moment for pushing the boundaries and I think I’d love to see further fashion evolutions do exactly this.