Hollywood A-listers and a star-studded guest list of celebrities have turned up in force for the fashion highlight of the year; the Met Gala.
The event hosted by Vogue marks the opening of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute exhibition. The theme of the gala and the exhibition this year is In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.
A number of celebrities and high-profile guests used their gala outfits to make bold statements. Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pulled no punches in a white gown emblazoned with the words “Tax the Rich” in red. Ocasio-Cortez shared a photo of the dress on Instagram, captioning it, “The time is now for childcare, healthcare, and climate action for all. Tax the Rich.”
The dress was created by Brother Veilles. Founder and creative director, Aurora James is also the founder of the 15 Percent Pledge movement. The movement encourages brands to pledge 15 per cent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests last year, James told Vogue: “Black people represent 15% of the population, and so stores like Target should make sure they’re hitting 15% of Black-owned business on their shelves.”
Reactions to the dress were mixed. One social media user labelled it “iconic”, while others questioned the idea of wearing the dress at such an opulent and expensive event with a guest-list of wealthy celebrities.
But AOC certainly wasn’t the only guest taking a stand with their choice of outfit. Musician, Billie Eilish also used the event as an opportunity to call for change. The teenager stunned in an Oscar de la Renta gown inspired by Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe.
The outfit continued her movement away from a style which saw her embrace baggy clothing. Eilish has previously spoken about how her decision to wear baggy clothing was made in part to avoid scrutiny about her body. But in June, she broke away from that, posing in a corset for the cover of British Vogue.
Eilish agreed to walk the Met Gala red carpet in Oscar de la Renta on the condition that they ceased the sale of all fur products. After being informed of Eilish’s request the brand agreed to terminate the sale of fur.
Eilish responded in a statement to the New York Times saying; “I’m honoured to have been a catalyst and to have been heard on this matter.”
Fans have celebrated Eilish's role in securing the brand’s commitment to ceasing their use of fur. One social media user lauded Eilish’s ability to look “Old Hollywood Glam” while “simultaneously putting a stop to Oscar Dela Renta [sic] selling fur”. Another said, “not only does she look utterly fabulous, but her stand against fur and against the industry that has little ethical balance is a good thing.”
Other guests also took the opportunity to advocate for causes close to their heart with their outfits. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s dress paid tribute to the 19th amendment which gave all American women the right to vote. The choice of dress colour was also inspired by the white, purple and green of the suffragette flag.
Maloney shared a photograph of herself on Twitter saying, “Across the country, women’s rights are under attack…I am calling for the certification of the ERA [Equal Rights Amendment] so women can be equal once and for all.”
A number of guests used their outfits to pay homage to significant figures in the American consciousness. Gemma Chan channelled Hollywood’s first Chinese American star, Anna May Wong. Yara Shahidi’s outfit was inspired by American-French entertainer, Josephine Baker. Jennifer Hudson donned a red gown in tribute to Aretha Franklin. Youtuber Nikkie de Jager's dress paid tribute to American gay liberation activist and drag queen, Marsha P Johnson.
