no. 10

Met Gala! Met Gala! Met Gala!: Need I say more

Of course, one of the biggest nights in fashion happened last week: the Met Gala.

For people who don’t know, the Met Gala is thrown by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to raise funds for the Costume Institute within the museum. The Met Gala is an ode to the fashion world and how art can impact us as a society. On the first Monday in May, a themed night filled with lavish celebrities and a corresponding exhibition occurs.

This year’s exhibition was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”. I wish I could be in New York to see it. The theme for the gala was “Tailored For You”, celebrating three hundred years of Black self-expression and the contributions Black people have made to high fashion. Black Dandyism was the highlight of the exhibition itself, relating it both to the aesthetics but also to the political construct. Black dandyism is a cultural movement where Black people use fashion, specifically the style associated with dandy, as self-expression and resistance against social limitations (especially rooted in racism and inequality). It is a celebration of individuality, revolution, and tailoring.

This Met Gala focuses on how Black Fashion has played a vital role in the state of fashion today. I would like to say that this is the only theme I have been truly excited for. It was long-awaited.

Now, I would like to preface this by saying, I love a good hat moment, and I love a good suit. But when I am watching the livestream of the Met Gala, and person after person is wearing just a sharp-fitting suit and a top hat, it gets a little boring. Take with that what you will.

There were so many looks that I was in awe of, and those honourable mentions have to go to: Teyana Taylor, Doechii, Imaan Hammam, and Jodie Turner-Smith. Teyana was like Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog, what’s not to love? The colour, the three-piece suit, the durag?! Safe to say I am obsessed (I have a TikTok edit of her saved). Next Doechii: first of all, Louis Vuitton by Pharrell Williams, I already like it. The shorts were so cute. Not only is it something that is trending at the minute, but the use of it in a suit, along with the combination of the afro, the cigar and the face stamp – so different and so her. Imaan Hammam was the epitome of class. I love the all-white suit, and the way it was styled was so gorgeous. Jodie Turner-Smith made me realise how far beyond Burberry went this year, I don’t have to say anymore; it was just that good.

So, my top three are (in no particular order): Coco Jones, Diljit Dosanjh, and Lewis Hamilton. Let’s start with Coco Jones. Disregarding the look itself, I loved the slick back, long hair, and the makeup, jewellery - if I had to change anything, add in a pair of grillz. Now the look: I LOVE. I think it was so sophisticated and elegant, and the tailoring of it was insane. The fact that it was a custom Manish Malhotra look is probably why I liked it so much. Although I am not a die-hard fan of his usual designs, I think this look, and his own, was hands down a work of art. The all white, long blazer and trouser combination was classic, yet unique. The monochrome fabric with intricate embroidery, the plunge neckline, and just the overall silhouette – so so fab.

Next on the list, and probably one of the most memorable looks of the night, Diljit Dosanjh. Again, disregarding my bias for him and my South Asian Heritage, I think this look was mental. Everything about it was exactly as it needed to be. The fact that he was a tribute to the Maharaja of Patiala at the Met demonstrates how this theme was SO good. Prabal Gurung created this ode to Punjab and not only spotlighted the artist himself but also highlighted tailoring within Asian fashion and showed how it has so many iterations and sources of information. To be completely honest, this look doesn’t need me to say anything: it speaks for itself. Although I will say, I think it is hilarious how Cartier denied him the Patiala Necklace. Historically, the necklace was created by the Maharaja of Patiala’s private collection of jewels, with one of the largest De Beers yellow diamonds set in it. The necklace was last seen in full in 1946, and after Indian independence, it mysteriously disappeared, and decades later started showing up in fragments to be acquired by Cartier and “restored”. The odd thing is, in 2022, it was loaned to the influencer, Emma Chamberlain, for the Met Gala. So why is it that when Diljit Dosanjh, a Punjabi icon who has a far greater standing than Emma Chamberlain, asks for it, it’s denied? The necklace and its intended purpose, with the look itself, were a cultural statement. It makes me question Cartier and reinforces this colonial narrative (everything is related to colonialism in some way; you can disagree with me, but it’s true). I love Emma Chamberlain, don’t get me wrong, but it’s something to think about.

That was a bit of a tangent, but an important point to raise. Another battle I had this year was the Vogue interviews.

Teyana Taylor and Ego Nwodim hosted interviews after the carpet itself, and I would like to say one thing regarding them (not specifically them, but interviewers in general): please do research! Most of the interviews were great. But, and it is a big one, there were a few, where it was so obvious that the interviews had no idea who they were interviewing. One of the most memorable Shah Rukh Khan and Sabyasachi. Their impact on cinema, fashion, and many aspects, of course, makes them known to the Indian sub-continent. I am not saying that everyone in the whole world should know who they are, but as an interviewer, you should have some sort of background knowledge. I am going to be honest, they get cue cards, so why is it that they act completely clueless? It’s just a matter of good journalism, surely.

Now that the quick rant is over, Lewis Hamilton. Of course, created by Grace Wales Bonner, it was perfection. Another all-white look, I think there’s a theme with the ones I like. I absolutely love the silhouette. The short jacket and straight-fit trousers. The brooch on the jacket, the hat, the brooch on the hat – I think it was mastery. I think it was so subtle, but so powerful. As one of the co-hosts, it was such a demonstration of the theme and how Black designers have always and continue to revolutionise the fashion world.

I think this year, it was a huge success. I love the Met Gala. I love judging everyone’s outfits. I love it all.

By Natasha Joshi