This year’s Met Gala was highly anticipated after being canceled in 2020. The theme, America: A Lexicon of Fashion, spurred a myriad of outfits that sparked heated debate in the hours following. However, the truly “American” aspect of the event was the Black Lives Matter Protestors arrested right outside while the Gala’s notable attendees enjoyed a lavish evening.

After heated Black Lives Matters protests in the summer of 2020, the NYPD had shown little to no change in their behavior towards Black and Brown communities. Most recently, they were allocated $11 billion in resources rather than allocating that money to communities of color on the verge of houselessness. The protestor’s demands included defunding (and eventually abolishing) the NYPD, as well as ending the relocation of the unhoused population from hotels into shelters. Nine protestors in total were arrested outside the event – likely for the “safety” of the influential people inside.

But that is not to say the Met Gala doesn’t have any benefit to society. Upon the release of the outfits and the themes, pure entertainment takes over social media and television platforms for the whole week. I am enthralled by the glamor and mystique of the event. Fashion is a form of art, and the week is most definitely a way for designers to be their most eclectic.

However, the Gala at its heart is a fundraiser revolving around schemes of privilege. In attendance were influencers and politicians, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY), Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, someone who has direct power to defund the NYPD. It doesn’t seem quite right that millions are raised for a museum on stolen land and not to uplift  Black and Brown communities. The only way it gets into the hands of POC is if they are politically or influentially exceptional.

In a way, it seems that the wealth and privilege of the attendees are highlighted by their failure to represent POC at the Gala. Specifically, no Indigenous American designers were showcasing their work and only one Indigenous American person, Quannah Chasinghorse, was invited. This could have been the perfect opportunity to showcase Indigenous Americans, but what we saw was a blatant underrepresentation.

Second, Cara Delevingne’s “Peg the Patriarchy” outfit was actually a trademark by Luna Matatas, an independent artist of color and sex educator who received no mention from Delevingne or the designer at the event. Finally, Kim Kardashian’s Balenciaga outfit seemed quite hypocritical as the dress mimicked a Burqa yet had the opposite public response. In many European countries, Muslims are banned from covering their faces or bodies. 

These outfits were not overly theatrical (as most Met Gala outfits are) meaning that the designers and celebrities focused more introspectively on the theme. However, the message both these celebrities wore were not reiterated on their social media or daily life. It is doubtful that they are actively supporting their message. Instead, they performed compassion to gain more social capital. 

Now, that is not to say I blame or shame those who attended the event. Many are advocates for Black Lives Matter, the LQBTQ + Community, Indigenous people and other marginalized groups. I just can’t help but see that the most “American” part of the event were the protestors being arrested right outside, while the wealthy white majority did nothing to prevent it from happening.