The Met: Controversial Themes and Controversial Faces

This year’s Met Gala may have had one of the most controversial themes yet. Curator Andrew Bolton spent a lot of time trying to best display his studies of religion and fashion, and at first, this was not limited to Catholicism. However, Bolton ultimately minimized the potential risk of causing offense by specifically targeting one religion in the Met's ultimate theme: Heavenly Bodies and the Catholic Imagination. The Vatican was actually involved in the exhibit, lending liturgic pieces from the Sistine Chapel. These artifacts were displayed alongside the costumes to showcase the influence that these ecclesiastic styles have left on designers over the decades. The costumes were inspired by the ecclesiastic baroque style with a specific focus on its contribution to fashion. This being said, by narrowing the focus of the theme, there were many people who left feeling that religion was exploited.

The Met Gala is an iconic event celebrating art and fashion, both of which, at this year’s Gala, were plagued by controversy and critique. In order to push boundaries in these two industries, there will inevitably be people who question the art and the intention behind it. The gaudy costumes are opportunities for the celebrities and the designers to use their poetic license, and certain celebrities definitely like to test conventional limits. Rihanna took last year’s theme,”Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons,” art of the in between, which celebrated wearable art, to the next level in her avant-garde blowout sculpture costume made of layers of petals. Her 2015 enormous yellow cape trimmed with fur and hand-embroidered for “China: Through the looking glass,” did not fail to draw attention either. This year, however, she took on the red carpet dressed as the Pope. Clearly taking the theme to a literal extreme, Rihanna wore a completely embellished mini dress, a cape, and a papal inspired hat with a pair of studded Louboutin heels. Rihanna embraced the artistry behind the theme to the maximum, owning the artistry of the Gala once again, loud and fully uninhibited.

Cara Delevingne, another to throw herself into each Met theme, wore a very revealing lattice dress and a veil over her face to this year's gala. She dressed completely in black, clearly depicting the heavenly body aspect of the theme. On her head, Delevingne wore a crown made of jewels with strings of beads falling over her face. Beneath her veil, she wore bright red lipstick and yellow eye shadow over her brow, embracing the gothic style. At the 2016 Met Gala, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an age of Technology,” Cara also wore a completely metallic suit and shoes. At the time, she had shaved her head, and for the red carpet, had it covered entirely in silver paint.

Katy Perry proved that she meant business at the Met in 2010, “American Women fashioning an identity,” wearing an LED covered gown. This year was no different, and she wore a set of Versace wings, complete with feathers. She, too, took the theme literally, showing that nothing is too big for the Met. Perry is recognized for her outlandish costume choices, and often is a topic of debate. Perry’s costume this year became the pinpoint of many memes and photoshop opportunities. This being said, this California Girl is not one to shy away from media attention.

On the other hand, the Catholic Imagination theme was also approached on a more cultural level by Lena Waithe, the first black female comedy writer to win an Emmy, who wore the L.G.B.T.Q. flag as a cape, coming out against the huge anti-gay community associated with the Catholic church.

This year some people may have felt that the theme was disrespectful to their religion, while others may have seen it as appreciating Catholicism’s contribution to fashion, style, and art. Ultimately, however, the annual Met Gala is an opportunity for designers, artists, and celebrities alike to take a position on the theme, and every year, those who throw themselves wholeheartedly into the spirit of the themes can generally expect some pushback. Controversy is an essential aspect of the art world, and in my opinion, the guests’ costumes at the Met are merely an embodiment of that principle.