That the so-called most prestigious fashion event of the year has become a scene out of The Hunger Games film trilogy is a well-known fact already, but is the Met Gala still relevant today?
If you look at the social media activity surrounding the event, the answer is a YES! Amid polarizing comments, which clearly reflect the current time, the night dominated this week's trending topics and news cycle.
But the polarizing aspect it's exactly what put the star-studded event relevance under questioning.
This year extravagant fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute theme was American Independence, and it marked the opening of the exhibit titled "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion". The show is a celebration of American design and, according to the museum is an "exploration of fashion in the United States in the Anna Wintour Costume Center."
The irony is that the American values at the core of the Declaration of Independence have been under threat like never before in recent history. Perhaps the Met's Costume Institute theme intended to highlight the 4 principles of the Declaration of Independence– People's Inalienable Rights to Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness– but it backfired by exposing precisely the opposite of the declaration most prominent part: All men are created equals.
Last Monday, like every year since 1948, the rich and famous walked the Met's impressive staircase under the curious and anxious gaze of the media and the populace to dine among themselves. Nothing is more distant from the American ideal that all men are equals.
But to Met's curator Andrew Bolton,"young designers, in particular, are at the vanguard of discussions about diversity and inclusion," and the exhibit and Gala wanted to showcase it. It echoes Vogue's attempt to become more relevant to a younger audience - just check the magazine's September article titled "Generation America: The Models Changing an Industry."
Like BuzzFeed reported, "We saw a lot of social media stars and influencers, people like Addison Rae and Emma Chamberlain, even one of the Try Guys." Gen Z was out at the Gala, and they were ready to take the stage, and night's event theme, as they pleased.
The Gala's theme served as a vast umbrella allowing a wide range of interpretations: from Billie Eilish Valentino gown channeling American icons Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, and the Holiday Barbie Doll, to A$A.P.'s quilt by L.A. label ERL, representing the patchwork of cultures that make up America. It also welcomed Lil Nas skin-tight, embellished black and gold jumpsuit and Kim Kardashian burka-like, all-black covered face Balenciaga look. It looks like everything goes at the Met Gala, as long it is a show stopper. So in that sense, nothing more American than this.
But the internet buzz was questioning: Should AOC - wearing a custom-made white gown with the words tax the Rich in red across it- attend a fundraiser that charged 33k for a seat? Who paid the congresswoman's ticket? Taxpayers? Was it politically correct Kim's look against what's happening with women in Afghanistan now? Was it COVID tone deaf? Should Lourdes León shave her armpits?
But here's the hard question behind all chatter: in today's revisionist spirit, should the Met gala be canceled? America is divided about it. So is the world we are living in.