This year’s Met Gala promises to be a Black-ass affair...and it’s about time. For decades, the event was stuffy and full of self-important people dressing ridiculously and drinking Dom Pérignon with their pinkies up.
As such, It has been criticized heavily in the past. Some called out the lack of fashion from Black designers. A Black author called out its ableism. And we all wondered why there were not more Black folks invited to the affair.
This came to a head in 2021 when Black folks who paid attention asked, “Where the hell is Black representation at the gala? The logic was simple: Black folks are the driving force behind what people wear on a day-to-day basis, why are we not represented on fashion’s biggest night? This year is different. Because, to quote the renowned philosopher Law Roach, “they…f*cked up and made the Met Ball Black.”
This year’s theme is Black Dandyism...something I’m sure most of the white attendees had to Google. (I know some of y’all did too. It’s all good. No shade.) This style of deeply refined self-presentation became prominent during the Harlem Renaissance. Black dandies marry Black culture with European fashion making not just a striking fashion statement but a political proclamation.
Black folks had the audacity to dress beautifully despite not even having the right to vote. So, when I learned that the Gala was going with this as a theme, I knew Black folks were about to show out.
But…let’s be honest. The Met Gala has been mid since 2018. They had boring themes (What does “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” even mean?) which lead to uninspired looks.
This year will be different. This is the first time the Met focused on Black fashion. There was no way our folks were going to let that fail. So far, they have not.
Donald Trump may be our president and the stock market may be going haywire. But Black folks know how to find joy despite unstable circumstances. After all, that’s what this year’s theme is all about.