Met Gala 2016: Manus x Machina: Real tech on the red carpet from Clare Danes to Katy Perry

The Met Gala's theme last night was based on the theme of the upcoming Metropolitan fashion exhibition 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology' with the dress code: Tech White Tie.

The majority of the crowd opted for an onslaught of sequins and metallic paraphernalia but there were a select few who took the theme to the next level, exploring the way in which tech can and will shape the future of fashion. Though some just sported Tamagotchis, either way it added a new conversation point to the evening.

Clare Danes in Zac Posen

Wafting on to the red carpet in what can only be described as a 'mic-drop' of a dress, Clare Danes owned the whole night in her billowing, fairytale Cinderella gown by Zac Posen that lit up in the dark. Transforming her into a celestial being, the powder blue strapless gown was created with layers of fibre-optic woven organza that glowed in the dark, giving it a Disney-like sheen. The downside for the actress was having to walk around with 30 battery packs stored inside the dress.

Karolina Kurkova's Marchesa x IBM Cognitive dress

If Clare Danes was the Cinderella of the night, model Karolina Kurkova was definitely the Sleeping Beauty as her dress changed colour throughout the night, as if Disney fairies were working on it.

In reality it was a dedicated team at IBM Watson who selected British design duo Marchesa to work with their team on an interactive and emotionally reactive 'cognitive' dress. The idea behind the collaboration was to create a dress that used woven technology to create a dress that would tap into social activity around the Met Gala and change colour according to the mood.

Searching more than 40,000 sources for fabric information and narrowing down to 150 before beginning the create the dress, this design was one of the most explorative technology and couture creations that used LED lights and Watson Tone Analyzer to change colour in real time as tweets starting rolling in about the Met Gala.

Emma Watson's Eco Age recycled Calvin Klein

Not the technology that the likes of IBM and Zac Posen have added to their designs but Emma Watson chose to promote the more sustainable side of technology and fashion last night, stepping out in a corset and tuxedo trousers with long train by Calvin Klein that were made from recycled plastic bottles. As Eco Age wrote on their Instagram "We loved working with the team @calvinklein to create a look that is truly a perfect marriage of ethics and aesthetics. The body of the look is crafted from three different fabrics all woven from yarns made from recycled plastic bottles, the zippers are made from recycled materials and the inner bustier has been created using organic cotton."

Watson's stylist, Sarah Slutsky, also noted on Instagram that with plastic being one of the Earth's biggest pollutants "being able to turn this waste into a high quality material is a real success story." Slutsky also detailed that the varying components of the outfit were designed in order to be reused, with the trousers, corset and cape all able to be worn separately.

Katy Perry's Tamagotchi

In case there wasn't quite enough going on with Katy Perry's dramatic transformation in her beautiful midnight blue, emerald and black velvet Prada gown that featured a cascade of golden embellishment, the singer also added a touch of retro tech with the addition of a Tamagotchi.

The little plastic toy was fixed onto her dress as she headed up the red carpet but she was also tweeting herself playing with the toy backstage during the event. Perry's new boyfriend Orlando Bloom was spotted with the same toy hanging from his tuxedo jacket pocket.