2021 Met Gala review
In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
Cameron Chappell, Staff Writer
It’s officially that time of the year when people of all interests come together to critique the fashion choices of A-list celebrities and some of the most influential people of our time, while sitting in the comfort of their homes, wearing pajamas.
The Met Gala, also know as The Met Ball, is an annual fashion exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Institute in Manhattan, New York. This year’s highly anticipated Met Gala was held on Sept. 11, with the theme “In American: A Lexicon of Fashion” to honor the impact Americans have made on the fashion industry. Due to its wide scope, this theme had the potential to be executed in both complexity and simplicity. Yet only a hand full of attendees followed it, and even fewer had a story behind the pieces they chose to wear. Many were boring, confusing, or just missed the entire point.
I expected to see a lot of streetwear and an emphasis on the trends popularized by African American culture through the decades. American designer Dapper Dan, who was known in the ’80s for creating clothes inspired by knockoff designer logos, started the “logomania” trend, which is still seen on runways and sidewalks today. Although Dapper Dan and the connection he forged between high fashion and streetwear are nothing short of iconic, he was not the inspiration behind any of the looks seen in the Gala. America is known around the world for its leisurely, laid-back approach to fashion, and no one embodied this aspect at all.
However, many attendees went for the Old Hollywood approach and tried to recreate a certain star from that period or look as though they were one themselves, which I did anticipate. While most of the ensembles were visually appealing, the reasoning behind them didn’t align with the American-centric theme to the extent they should have. For instance, model Kendall Jenner attempted a modern take on Audrey Hepburn’s Eliza Dolittle in the movie “My Fair Lady” through a Givenchy diamond-encrusted dress. But both Audrey Hepburn and the character she played were British and embodied British culture during that time, not American. There were only a select few Old Hollywood approaches that truly succeeded. One of my favorites was actress Yara Shahidi’s; she wore a custom Christian Dior gown that fully embraced the theme and paid homage to American entertainer Josephine Baker, who she found both inspiring and trailblazing.
I loved some celebrities’ incorporation of Western American culture because it’s fairly common for those who imagine America to imagine the typical cowboy with their boots and hat. Music artist Pharrell Williams and his wife Helen Lasichanh matched in custom Chanel leather cowboy-inspired two-piece sets complete with white piping. To complement the black leather, the pair added bolo ties and cowboy boots topped with gold embellishments. The sleek simplicity of this look made a statement, while still fitting the theme. Singer Ciara wore a custom sequin Peter Dundas football jersey dress inspired by her husband, Seattle Seahawks football player Russell Wilson. Her dress had Wilson’s team color and his jersey number, and it perfectly captured the essence of perhaps the most loved sport in America.
The 2021 Met Gala was rather underwhelming, and the looks weren’t very fun, mainly because most of the attendees didn’t follow the theme. Next year’s theme is part two of the American fashion exhibit “An Anthropology of Fashion,” and hopefully celebrities will understand the point of attending the Met Gala and come up with a variety of creative, innovative looks to last the test of time.
