Above: Radha Blank (centre) at the 2022 Met Gala afterparty, photographed by Kevin Mazur for Getty Images, on behalf of The Met Museum
AUTHOR: SARAH PALMER
Whether you’re a regular in the world of global fashion or just eager to see who your favourite celebrity struts out on the red carpet, the Met Gala is likely a familiar name to you. Nicknamed “fashion’s biggest night out”, the charity red carpet and ball organised by the Metropolitan Museum of Art takes place on the first Monday in May of each year, and aims to showcase themed fashion trends and works of popular fashion designers.
After COVID-19 interrupted the yearly event in 2020, the 2021 Met Gala was much awaited, and the Met brought back the event in a two-part theme, taking place over both 2021 and 2022. To begin, ‘America: A Lexicon of Fashion’ from 2021 sought inspiration from the evolution of fashion in the United States and the unique creations of American designers. The second theme, that of this year’s Met Gala, was ‘America: An Anthology of Fashion’, aiming to highlight the “unsung heroes of American design”; Vanessa Friedman outlined the premise of ‘Gilded Glamour’ on her Twitter prior to the event, which became the more touted version of this year’s Gala theme.
However, many viewers were disappointed that the outfits presented at the Gala did not accurately reflect the proposed theme, and focused more on typical modern signifiers of opulence and glamour. For example, Sebastian Stan’s fuschia ensemble was critiqued heavily for its overwhelmingly modern style. The loose-fitting coat and chunky sneakers echo the trends of 20th century streetwear rather than the designs prevalent in the Gilded Age in the United States. Similar critique was widespread this year as many celebrities honed in on an opulent feeling, without connection to theme.
Enter Radha Blank, African-American Writer, Director and Producer, with an inspiring and historically significant Met Gala look.
Blank, unlike other Met Gala attendees, examined the historical implications of a theme like ‘Gilded Glamour’ and decided to pay homage to the “unseen Black women” who “have sewn the fabric of [the United States]”. The colour palette of her ensemble aligns with the colours of the American national flag – a handmade white lace dress, navy blue overcoat, and white and red cloth headpiece. Blank’s hands and nails are stained with indigo dye and hold a wooden sword and cigar; her hands are that of a working woman, and within them Blank holds symbols of power. Her arms are adorned with glamorous gold bands and bracelets and her makeup look is simple yet refined, with a dominant cheek contour and lip colour.
On her Instagram Blank described her approach to the Met Gala 2022 theme and the inspiration behind her look, conjuring a powerful image of the perseverance of Black women during the Gilded Age of the United States. On the night, she wore the garb of:
“an Obeah woman who by day used her hands to sew, cook, wash White folk clothes & tend to their chirren and by night use her hands to conjure spells for [her] survival using ancestral African spiritual practices not meant to survive in the middle passage… This woman would represent the unseen Black women who have sewn the fabric of this country but she would also be [Blank’s] armour as faces and bodies like [hers] aren’t usually seen or celebrated in these spaces… This would be [her] homage to… all women practitioners of ancestral arts from Africa.”
from @radhamusprime on Instagram
‘Obeah’ refers to the religion and spiritual practices of West Africana slaves in the West Indies, which survived the colonisation and enslavement of Africa and its people throughout history. Documentation of obeah practices first appeared in the 18th century and the fear this religion struck in white colonisers of Africa – who saw these practices as a form of witchcraft – carries an inherent sense of power and dominance over the oppressor. By embodying this image at a high-profile fashion event like the Met Gala, Blank draws attention to the history of America’s Gilded Age – while the period is reflected on as a time of great prosperity for societal elites, this came at the detriment of American’s enslaved and oppressed classes who worked rigorously behind closed doors to manufacture the prevailing image of luxury thought of as quintessential to the American Gilded Age even to this day.
Radha Blank had less than five weeks to assemble her vision and worked with fashion and culture writer Bevy Smith to formulate a premise. Designer Brandice Daniel and dressmaker Jennifer McFarlene executed the assembly of the physical pieces, and Radha Blank took to the carpet in an exceptional Met Gala look.
After multiple years of underperforming celebrity Met Gala ensembles, Radha Blank has brought an enlightened perspective to the 2022 event through her historical insights as a Black woman. I’m certain I am not the only one who looks forward to seeing innovation and craftsmanship like this widespread at the Met Gala of 2023 and beyond.