Controversial topics at the Met Gala

Events fashion The world’s most prestigious Met Gala will return at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA next May.

Every year, the glitzy event – which provides the Costume Institute with its main source of funding – welcomes the red carpet full of A-list actors, singers, designers and models. At the 2022 Met Gala, Regina King, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Lin-Manuel Miranda will host as the evening’s official co-hosts. Designer Tom Ford, entrepreneurs Adam Mosseri and Anna Wintour will continue as honorary co-chairs of the event.

The theme of the annual event is always set to reflect the museum’s blockbuster annual exhibition. This year, the Met Gala was held with the theme “In America: An Anthology of Fashion”, based on the second part of the exhibition on American fashion history. Attendees were asked to honor the “unknown and unknown heroes of American fashion design”.

From left: Regina King, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Lin-Manuel Miranda are the co-hosts of the Met Gala.

Apparel Institute principal curator Andrew Bolton said the upcoming exhibition will delve into the “backbone” of American style.

“Some of the names will be very familiar to fashion students like Charles James, Halston, and Oscar de la Renta, but many others have actually been forgotten, omitted or included in the footnotes. of fashion history”, Andrew Bolton said. So one of the main purposes of the exhibition is to highlight the talents and contributions of these individuals, many of whom are women.

In the past, this flashy event has seen fierce controversies surrounding the choice of themes and interpretations of A-list artists’ outfits.

The Independent took a look at some of the most controversial topics of this fashion event.

Punk: Chaos to Couture, 2013

Two days later Met Gala and the opening of the “Punk: Chaos to Couture” exhibition, people are still buzzing about the red carpet parade because of the incredible looks of the stars. According to the pen of Los Angeles Timesthere’s a lot of irony to the whole thing.

The fashion world’s unique evening with the planet’s empowered celebrities gathered in the name of punk, an anti-fashion movement, against the establishment of working-class heroes.

Andrew Bolton explains that punk has had a strong influence on fashion. Although the democracy of punk contrasts with the autocracy of fashion, designers continue to use punk’s visual vocabulary to capture the rebelliousness of youth and its ferocity.

“Instead of seeing punk as an attitude, the exhibition sees it as an aesthetic”he wrote.

The 2013 Met Gala’s theme was designed to examine the impact punk has had on high fashion since its inception in the early 1970s. “Punk: Chaos to Couture” has seen the stars come out. red carpet with their most edgy, couture looks.

Harnessing the visual symbols of punk, guests are encouraged to wear outfits that push the boundaries of what the fashion industry considers “trendy”.

Miley Cyrus (left) and Madonna at the 2013 Met Gala.

Singer Miley Cyrus showed off one of the most striking outfits. She wore a Marc Jacobs mesh dress with spiky hair. Meanwhile, Madonna captured the chaos of the movement with a custom Ricardo Tisci blazer, teamed with mesh pants and black leather gloves.

Other notable looks include actress Sarah Jessica Park’s mohawk hat, supermodel Lily Cole’s dress made from sustainable Amazonian wild rubber, Beyoncé’s Givenchy gown with studded belt, and corset. Impressive leather.

Speaking at the time about why punk was such a bold theme for the Met Gala, designer Tommy Hilfiger said the genre has a “unique culture and distinct style” loved by many in the fashion industry. prefer.

“Music of all genres has always been a central influence in my designs,” he said. “I tend to be more of a classic American rock, but I listen to and love the punk rock albums of The Ramones and Blondie.”

The look of Sarah Jessica Park, Lily Cole and Beyoncé.

China: Through the Looking Glass, 2015

In 2015, the Met Gala chose to celebrate China’s influence on Western fashion. The exhibition, a joint effort between the head of the museum’s Asian Art Department and the Costume Institute, showcases costumes by Chanel, Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior Haute Couture.

However, the famous announcement was met with mixed reactions with many allegations of cultural appropriation events.

On the red carpet, celebrities wear oriental-inspired outfits that are in keeping with Asian culture. But many people question that almost no guests choose to wear Chinese designers’ clothes.

“These are completely deviant from Chinese culture. These stars simply wear creepy clothes and turn them into orientals”, “foreigners with Chinese style are not very relevant. right”… are the responses of the online community.

The only celebrity seen wearing a dress created by a Chinese designer is singer Rihanna. She donned the iconic golden frock coat created by Guo Pei.

In response to the controversy, Andrew Bolton admitted: “What I want to show is that China has been quite complicit with the images that Western culture has formed. There’s a complexity behind that, and that’s interesting.”

Despite the controversy, The New York Times reported that the theme “China: Through the Looking Glass” had become the fifth most visited exhibition in history.

Rihanna in a yellow dress at the 2015 Met Gala.

Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination, 2018

The 2018 divine theme is arguably the most controversial of the Met Gala. Titled “Divine Bodies: Catholic Fashion & Imagination,” the subject has shaken some people’s heads because of its religious connections.

Andrew Bolton said the decision to examine Catholic clothing was made after he explored the relationship between religion and fashion for five years. He originally intended to consider Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism as well as Catholicism. But this breadth is too much for a program.

On the night of the event, guests appeared in a variety of colors, from gem-encrusted crosses to robes.

Notably, Rihanna wore a scarf and gown inspired by Pope’s luxury. Katy Perry reappears in angel wings.

The Vatican City even supported the exhibit, lending more than 40 items from the Sistine Chapel, including luxurious papal robes, precious rings and tiaras from the 18th to 21st centuries. But there are still those who do. disagree with this topic.

“My Religion Is Not Your Met Gala Outfit”, said the social media user. Others have “accused” the event’s guests of cultural appropriation.

Write to Daily Mailjournalist Piers Morgan weighed in on the subject, suggesting the Met Gala has “crossed a line and is openly, brazenly disrespectful”.

Stars at the 2018 Met Gala red carpet.

According to Zing