I ’m certain my invitation will get any day now …
It’s almost Met Gala Monday, which means it’s time to judge the tailoring of the rich and famous while wearing jorts at home. So, what do you need to know about this year’s theme in order to be very annoying in conversation? I’ve got you.
Let’s start with the basics. The Met Gala is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute (it’s astounding how many people do not know this every year). It’s tied into the opening of their annual exhibition, which this year isSuperfine: Tailoring Black Style.
As perVogue, the exhibition is inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 bookSlaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity(Monica is a guest curator for the exhibit). In short, the exhibit is very much about the style of Black dandies.
If you don’t know what a Black dandy is, Monica said in avideofor The Met, “Historically, the term ‘dandy’ was used to describe someone — often a man — who is extremely devoted to aesthetics and approached it as a lifestyle. Dandyism has been used to think positively about Black people, their ambitions, and aspirations, and negatively about those very same aspirations.”
“It was imposed on Black men in Europe during the 1700s, as the Atlantic slave trade created a trend in fashionably dressed, or dandified, servants. Free and enslaved Black people came to understand the power of clothing and style in signalling hierarchies of race, class, and gender. Over time, dandyism gave Black men and women an opportunity to use clothing, gesture, irony, and wit to transform their identities and imagine new ways of embodying political and social possibilities,” she continued.
“The exhibition explores how the history of Black dandyism illustrates the transformation from being enslaved and stylized as luxury items, acquired like any other signifier of wealth and status, to autonomous, self-fashioning individuals who are global trendsetters,” she noted. Subsequently, the exhibit will be organized around concepts that are themarkof Black dandyism, such as Heritage, Beauty, and Cool. Featured artists will include Torkwase Dyson, Tanda Francis, André Grenard Matswa, and Tyler Mitchell.
So, that’s the exhibit. But what about the Met Gala theme? Fittingly, it’s “Tailored for You” — a reference to the focus on menswear in the exhibit. Clothing that is well-tailored, inspired by menswear, and/or which celebrates Black designers and culture will all be on theme.
Some tailoring 101 questions: How does the garment fit on the shoulders, chest, waist, and hips? Is it too tight or too loose anywhere? Are the sleeves or legs too short or too long? Basically, if a garment looks like it doesn’t fit, then it’s immediately off theme (you’d be surprised how many designers are apparently baffled by a bigger bust).
Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour will all be co-chairs, along with LeBron James as an honorary chair. However, the full host committeeincludesAndré 3000, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jordan Casteel, Dapper Dan, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Edward Enninful, Jeremy O. Harris, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Rashid Johnson, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, Audra McDonald, Janelle Monáe, Jeremy Pope, Angel Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson, Tyla, Usher, and Kara Walker.
See you at the first Monday in May.
