On Monday, dozens upon dozens of celebrities and the designers who dress them will walk the red carpet into the Metropolitan Museum of Art to fete the opening of the Costume Institute's next exhibit, "China: Through the Looking Glass."
The event — which this year counts Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, Blake Lively, Anne Hathaway and Kim Kardashian among its hosts — is often referred to as “fashion’s biggest night," but many observers are wary to see how guests will interpret — or misinterpret — that theme.
In a Jezebel article headlined “2015 Met Gala Will Probably Be an Asian-Themed Shitshow,” Kara Brown writes, “The fact that the core idea behind the theme is how Chinese aesthetics have influenced other designers is troubling because that influence is often culturally insensitive or downright racist." She adds, “I simply do not trust the majority of Met Gala attendees to handle this theme with tact and respect." Over at Bustle, Maxine Builder echoed her concerns, writing, "To be culturally sensitive and to do this theme justice require an ability to take the time to understand the culture, and I’m concerned that no one will do that kind of research.”
When it comes to cultural appropriation and accidental racism, the fashion industry doesn’t have the best track record. Despite public backlash, Native American headdresses continue to be casually incorporated into runway shows and magazine editorials. Ditto the incorrect use of “Navajo print,” andimpoverished black people as props in fashion shoots. Celebrities, such as those likely to attend Monday’s soiree, aren’t so good with this stuff either. See: Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” video, Katy Perry’s 2013 American Music Awards costume, and many of Miley Cyrus’s artistic decisions.
Oftentimes, those at fault defend such instances by saying they intended to celebrate the culture or class of people they imitated, an excuse we could easily see those involved with the Met Gala using. Add to that the fact that Met Gala attendees, while happy to take risks, often miss the mark when it comes to adhering to the theme — almost no one followed 2014’s white tie dress code and the fashion crowd’s interpretation of “punk” was very, very loose in 2013 — and you can see why there's general concern.
Are guests being set up for failure with this theme, or are there ways to attend this red carpet event, look amazing, and safely avoid offending anyone?
In some ways, it's the former. A Vogue article explaining the theme says the exhibit will look at “how eastward-looking Westerners have understood and misunderstood Chinese culture in an exchange that [Curator Andrew] Bolton likens to a complicated game of telephone.” While there are ways to convey that exchange respectfully in the context of a museum exhibition, interpreting that on the red carpet is inherently challenging. “The Met itself is acknowledging that these have often been inaccurate or even based on problematic racial stereotypes such as the 'dragon lady' or 'China doll' tropes. If a designer draws inspiration from these tired stereotypes, they won’t just look racially insensitive, they’ll also come across as incredibly uncreative,” says Liz Flora, editor in chief of Jing Daily, who notes in a recent op-ed that luxury brands also risk alienating the Chinese shoppers who make up a significant portion of their customer bases.
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