The Met Costume Institute Gala 2010 celebrated American fashion -- and what better partner for that the Gap?

The all-American store better known for jeans and Ts enlisted four of fashion's brightest new lights to design dresses for some A-listers, and didn't disappoint. Their designs were as varied and spirited as the history they saluted.

Vera Farmiga wore Sophie Theallet's lavender off-the-shoulder dress with black ribbon trim -- it somehow had a can-can feel to it. Jessica Alba was resplendent in a column of taupe silk by Theallet.

Riley Keough wore a ruffly buff confection by Thakoon, who also dressed Kerry Washington in a slit-up-to-there scarlet dress with draping.


M.I.A. wore a black dress with a dramatic sparkling lattice work overlay designed by Alexander Wang. Wang also designed Zoe Kravitz' more austere white-and-black dress. Amazing both dresses came from the same mind!

And Kirsten Dunst was ethereal in white Rodarte.

Sadly for the rest of us, the Gap won't be selling these dresses in your nearby mall. But they will be displayed this month at a Gap pop-up store at 680 Fifth Avenue (at 54th Street) in New York, and auctioned at www.gap.com/gownauction, where sketches and information about the dresses will also be listed. Proceeds will benefit the Costume Institute.

And of course, there's a T-shirt. Seven shirts lionizing seven great fashion types will be on sale at some Gap stores this month.

So while we'd love a gown by any of these designers, we have to admit it doesn't get too much more American than a T-shirt, and we're on our way!