By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The Met Gala, an annual fundraising event held in New York City to benefit the museum’s Costume Institute, honored the Black community during this year’s event. This year’s event marked the first time in its 77-year history that the event centered around Black identity and Black designers. The theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” a groundbreaking celebration of Black dandyism and its profound impact on fashion and identity, honored the profound influence of Black communities on fashion and provided a platform to showcase their contributions.
For De’Vaughnn Williams, founder of Foster & Fashion, hearing about this year’s theme was almost like a sigh of relief.
“Finally, was my initial reaction. And then, of course, I was just in awe of how Black style is expressed, not just by those who are Black or across the Black diaspora, but by those who are on the outside looking in,” said Williams. “It was really exciting to see those people open to expressing their own interpretations of Black fashion.”
The Gala served as a platform to celebrate the centuries of influence Black communities have had on fashion, often with limited resources but unlimited imagination. It underscored the power of representation and the opportunities found in elevating diverse perspectives and storytelling. This year’s theme encouraged creativity and personal expression, allowing each attendee to interpret it in their own unique way, which was evident in André 3000’s distinctive red-carpet masterpiece.
“With thorough research, we could have gone to the moon with this theme. Although André 3000 didn’t necessarily dress in a suit or a top hat, he did show the side of Black music,” said Williams. “And I think him carrying the piano on his back was a representation of Black expression through music because we are carrying the music industry on our backs.”
“Then the black bag he had in his hand shows that once they are done with us, they send us off with nothing but a black bag. So, I thought that was very interesting, and it was his own expression of the theme,” added Williams.
Regardless of your connection with the fashion industry, Williams believes the Met Gala plays a huge role in the fashion world in sparking conversations. Each year’s theme challenges designers and celebrities to be creative and take fashion risks, all within a highly publicized event that generates global attention almost instantly.
“The Met Gala is something that is going to hit your ear at some point in time, and it is something that I look forward to seeing,” said Williams. “When springtime finally arrives, we are all looking at the fresh looks, and we get to see our favorite celebrities dressed up, so I think it is just a major factor, and it is always going to be a major factor.”
While some may question what Black fashion truly is, or whether it even exists, Williams points out that this uncertainty stems largely from a lack of awareness, which contributes to Black fashion not being widely recognized around the world.
“Black fashion hasn’t died; it is the lack of awareness, and lack of our culture being so impactful in fashion. We are the first folks to do many things, and after a while the things that we create become commercialized and they become so saturated with everyone else’s interpretation of it. The originators kind of get lost in the sauce,” said Williams. “The internet—there is a lot of mirroring, and even a lack of education in our own households and public education systems.”
“The more we spread the word regarding our history and impact in fashion, I think we could get right back to our roots of being fabulous,” she added.
Williams hopes this isn’t a “one-and-done” commitment to Black fashion at the Gala and said that it helps highlight the many ways Black style can be expressed, celebrated, and carried forward.
“Black people having a history of not just excellence, but in a way suppression, because our style has been one of the only ways that we could express ourselves, so the theme was overall just interesting,” said Williams. “Black people have been some of the most expressive people through fashion, creative ways, styles, and trends. Once again, it is about time we dedicate the Met Gala to Black style. My hope is that this is just the first, but not the last.”
