The theme for the 2023 Met Gala has been announced!
This year, celebrities will walk the infamous stairs outfitted in tributes to the late Karl Lagerfeld.
Met Gala 2023
After being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID restrictions, the Met Gala has made big headlines the last two years. 2023 should be no different as attendees will honor German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld with their costumes.
Taking place Monday, May 1, the event is so infamous it’s referred to as the “First Monday in May.”
Lagerfeld was a regular attendee at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute, the subject of the annual fundraising event and subsequent costume exhibition.
Who is Karl Lagerfeld
Lagerfeld was a German fashion designer, creative director, artist and photographer.
Working for fashion houses like Fendi and Chanel, the designer was incredibly influential until his 2019 death.
Even if you don’t know his name, you likely know his appearance – the designer was known for his white hair, black sunglasses, and fingerless gloves. Celebrity fans of Lagerfeld include The Kardashians, Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow and many others.
Why is Lagerfeld controversial?
Karl Lagerfeld caused several controversies during his life as a premiere fashion designer.
The designer was considered “fatphobic” for his many comments on “curvy” women, the most famous being when he called singer Adele “a little too fat.”
After the German magazine Brigitte said they were going to use more “real” women in their publishing, Lagerfeld was quoted saying
You’ve got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly. The world of beautiful clothing is about ‘dreams and illusions.’
Unfortunately this isn’t where his controversies end. Some also believe the designer to have been “Islamophic” and potentially racist.
Controversy at the Met Gala
The choice to honor Karl Lagerfeld is just one of the many controversies that the Met Gala has attracted over the years.
Many may remember the violent Jay-Z and Solange Knowles elevator ride at the 2014 Met Gala after-party.
The following year, some of the costumes for the 2015 theme “China: Through the Looking Glass” were criticized as being cultural appropriation.
It seems the Met Gala always has some negative buzz, so it’s not a big surprise that the 2023 theme is causing quite the commotion.
Top photo: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/MEGA
Ashley Marie is a writer for Starcasm and the personality behind Twitter’s @RealityByAshley. You can contact Ashley via Twitter or email at realitybyashley(at)gmail.com
