People pointed out a lack of body diversity. John Lamparski/Getty images The annual Met Gala is a testament to the remarkable world of fashion.…
People pointed out a lack of body diversity. John Lamparski/Getty images
The annual Met Gala is a testament to the remarkable world of fashion. Over the years, it has become a reflection of our current culture, promoting high-fashion conversations between designers, celebrities, models, and the public. Since its inception in the mid-1900s, the Met Gala, which serves as the inaugural event of the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, has become fashion’s most over-the-top party of the year.
This year’s theme, « Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, » sought to inspire ensembles that comprised three themes: religion, Medieval art, and, of course, extravagant fashion.
The complex theme delivered many elegant and avant-garde looks, some of the most notable being Met Gala co-chair Rihanna in a white beaded, Pope-inspired mini dress, cape, and Bishop hat; actress Blake Lively dawning a gorgeous Versace gown that reportedly took 600 hours to embroider and needed to be transported in a party bus; and rapper Cardi B in a white Moschino dress that had fans « okurrr-ing » as she walked the carpet.
This is also something that the fashion world at large seems to be lacking.
For many years, the world of fashion has promoted the « thin ideal » in which clothes were only constructed for the stereotypical « model » body type, falling usually to a size two or zero. As time has progressed, forward advancements have been made with designers like Christian Siriano dedicating themselves to dressing every body type. Yet, at this year’s ultimate night of fashion, the lack of body diversity was astonishing, and it did not go unnoticed.
In 2017, model Ashley Graham — who did walk the carpet of this year’s Met Gala — revealed in an interview with The Cut that although she was invited to the 2016 event, she was unable to find a designer willing to dress her.
She told The Cut, « I couldn’t get a designer to dress me. You can’t just show up in jeans and a T-shirt. »
Model Ashley Graham has spoken out about the lack of diversity in fashion before.
Neilson Barnard/getty images
Following the interview, Graham was shamed by some, including fashion blogger BryanBoy, who criticized her for wanting a free dress from a designer instead of buying one. The problem, however, is that purchasing clothes in non-sample sizes, especially formal gowns that fit the theme of the Met Gala, can be nearly impossible. Plus, it’s no secret that people in smaller sizes are reportedly often gifted — or even paid for wearing — these gowns.
This sentiment has also been echoed by comedians Leslie Jones and Melissa McCarthy, who both have said they had trouble finding people to make dresses for them during red carpets. When « Project Runway » introduced models who were « plus-sized, » many designers said they didn’t want to dress them.
A report from The Fashion Spot released earlier this year shows that « 27 ‘plus-size’ models walked in eight New York shows, accounting for 1.2% of all castings. » The lack of representation of larger bodies and body diverse inclusion is nothing new but is something that desperately needs to be addressed once again, especially following this year’s Met Gala.
This is on not only designers but those who make the Met Gala invite list, to give people of all body types a shot to truly rock the theme and show that anyone, no matter what they look like, can be involved in fashion and the conversation at large.
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