Mark your calendars! - by Mark your calendars for the first Monday in May! The theme for the 2023 Met Gala has been announced and it's already facing backlash. Watch Below: Met Gala 2022: Red Carpet Outfits The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the theme for next year will pay tribute to none other than Karl Lagerfeld, who was undeniably one of the most prolific designers of the last century. Karl,
who passed away in 2019 following an ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer worked with a number of iconic brands including Chanel, Chloe, Fendi, Balmain and his own eponymous fashion label. The exhibition, aptly titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” will open next May, but all eyes are already on the gala looks.
Getty So what can we expect from the famed-red carpet? Karl Lagerfeld's contribution to the fashion industry was massive, from
the creation of Chanel’s signature interlocking CC monogram to the double F logo for Fendi - so these will no doubt pop up in the outfits. However, Karl himself had his own unique sense of style, which will no doubt be an inspiration point for many designers.
Getty Despite the solemn undertone of the gala, the night will remember and celebrate the life and legacy of the late fashion icon. And don’t expect to see a traditional approach to the exhibition, The Met’s
custom curator Andrew Bolton spoke to Vogue about what one can expect. Watch Below: Kim Kardashian Tries On Marylin Monroe's 1962 Dress Before The 2022 Met Gala "At its heart, the exhibition will look at the evolution of Karl’s two-dimensional drawings into three-dimensional garments," he explained. "We could not do a traditional retrospective. For one thing, I think Karl would have hated that. Even though one of his facets was that he was a
historicist, and he would revisit themes in his work, he was always looking to the future in his own work—he hated looking back at the past."
"It was something he had a very conflicted relationship with.”
Getty
Although the theme was initially met with excitement, a number of people have slammed the decision to celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, who faced a number of controversies throughout his career.
Not only was the designer called out for his anti-fat language [he called Adele "too fat," Heidi Klum "too heavy" among other comments] he also claimed he was "fed up" with the Me Too movement and claimed Coco Chanel wasn't a feminist as she "was never ugly enough for that."
Following the announcement of the theme, Jameela Jamil took to Twitter sarcastically writing "A line of racism, fat phobia and a hatred of the Me Too movement. Excited to see all the ladies celebrate this great lover of women!" and it seems many agree.
"Regarding the next Met Gala theme focused on Karl Lagerfeld. As much as he contributed to the fashion industry, we should not be celebrating a person who made fatphobic, racist, and sexist comments throughout his career," wrote another Twitter user.
WHEN THE 2022 MET GALA theme, Gilded Glamour, was announced, many were left scratching their heads. The concept was so convoluted it sparked chains of social media debates of users debating what it actually constituted, it was understandable that a host of celebrity guests missed the mark [according to much of the internet, anyway] when it came to their outfits.
Now, organisers of the Met Gala — indisputably one of fashion’s biggest nights — have announced next year’s theme: celebrating the work of one of the most prolific designers of the last Century, the late Karl Lagerfeld.
On Monday May 1st, stars will descend upon the Met Museum in New York donning looks that honour the enduring legacy of the late designer who passed away in 2019.
In his illustrious career, Lagerfeld spent time as creative director at Fendi, Chloé and Chanel. Notably, he was responsible for the creation of Chanel’s signature interlocking ‘CC’ monogram. He also fulfilled stints at Balmain and Patou and, of course, founded his eponymous label.
The theme aligns with a major exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” A press release from the Met revealed the show will “explore the designer’s stylistic language” through around 150 designs. The exhibition will be open to the public from early May until mid-July 2023.
Next year’s gala’s co-chairs, which last year included Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, are yet to be announced. As are the guests of the invite-only benefit, which usually costs upwards of $30,000 a head to attend.
The news of the 2023 theme follows rumours of a ‘space’ theme, a rumour that rapidly picked up traction over on TikTok earlier this year. And, given that Instagram has staked its claim as the most popular news source among young people today — with TikTok not far behind it, as per The BBC — it is of little surprise that the rumour gained mass attention, with little-to-no evidence to help decipher the depth of it’s legitimacy.
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