The MET Gala is one of the biggest events for fashion. Recently, the theme and co-chairs were announced. The theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which will explore the rich history of Black fashion. The co-chairs include actor, playwright, and director Colman Domingo; Formula One Racer Lewis Hamilton; rapper A$AP Rocky; musician Pharrell Williams; chief editor of Vogue Magazine Anna Wintour; and legendary NBA player Lebron James as an honorary chair. I, for one, have a mixed reaction to the theme. I think the theme could lead to people accidentally appropriating black culture, but at the same time, I also think that, if done right, it could be a very promising opportunity to highlight the contributions of black designers to the fashion industry.

I think it is an incredibly significant theme. It will show how the history of black fashion designers connects to how they express themselves. The theme comes from Monica L. Miller’s book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. This cultural history was written in 2009 and analyzes dandyism in 18th century England. Dandyism is the style or conduct of “dandy,” which is defined as a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, personal grooming, refined language, and leisurely hobbies. During the 18th century, black people were still subjected to slavery, and dandyism was initially imposed on slaves, by wealthy white owners who wanted to reflect their wealth and power through the appearance of their slaves. As time went on and the institution of slavery was abolished, dandyism was transformed into a way to break limiting identity barriers and create new styles of fashion and social possibilities. Additionally, black men used dandyism to combine European high fashion with distinctly African culture and reimagined what was previously imposed by force into something of their own creation. The MET Gala exhibit will feature historic garments, photos, paintings, and more that will highlight the evolution of black dandyism from the 18th century to the present day.

While I do think it is an important theme, I also think this theme invites opportunities for racism as people could misinterpret the theme and not dress appropriately. The theme celebrates black history; so for people who aren’t black, there is a possibility that their clothing could be seen as cultural appropriation. For a long time, concerns have been raised about racism and cultural appropriation in the fashion industry. In such a publicized event that gets loads of attention from the media and society, having an appropriate outfit that isn’t offensive is important, as it could be insulting to black culture and history with inappropriate clothing choices. For example, there was lots of controversy over the 2023 MET gala, which celebrated fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld, who has a history of making racist, fatphobic, and misogynistic comments.

However, I think it could be an amazing opportunity if the designers and attendees do interpret the theme correctly. It would highlight black designers and their impact on fashion throughout history in each celebrity outfit. A big part of the MET gala is how celebrities work with their designer to choose and create an outfit. However, depending on the theme, there can be concern regarding who each celebrity chooses as their designer and whether the choice of outfit is culturally appropriate because misinterpretation is always a concern. While the concern is there, I think it’s most important to focus on celebrating the contributions of black designers, which has been historically overlooked.

As of right now, we know very little of what else will happen at the event itself. The theme was only announced on October 9th, and the dress code and guest list will not be released until later. I am excited to see some of the celebrities’ outfits–I can only imagine how mind-blowing Zendaya’s will be.