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A whopping six celebs are wearing H&M to the Met Gala this evening. Ciara, Hailee Steinfeld, Jennifer Hudson, Amber Valetta, Lucky Blue Smith and Pyper America Smith are all wearing custom looks by the fast fashion retailer to "fashion's Super Bowl." H&M goes so far as to dub the designs couture, stating in their press release that each look was inspired by the exhibit's handmade vs. machine-made theme.
This is actually H&M's second Met Gala red carpet; in 2015 the megastore dressed Sarah Jessica Parker, Vanessa Hudgens, Janelle Monae, Banks, and Odell Beckham Jr. for the event.
The Sweden-based brand seems to be ramping up its red carpet marketing efforts in general, including three consecutive years dressing actresses in H&M Conscious for the buzzy Vanity Fair Oscar Party (Penelope Cruz in 2014, Jessica Chastain in 2015, and Vanessa Hudgens in 2016). Last year, H&M used the 2015 Billboard Awards carpet to announce its Balmain collaboration by having Kendall Jenner and Jourdan Dunn wear select pieces from the collection.
The jury is still out on how H&M's "couture" holds up next to the likes of Givenchy and Valentino on the red carpet, but it does seem fitting that a modern heavy hitter whose success is predicated on speed and innovation should be so heavily represented at an event examining "fashion in an age of technology."