NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 鈥淲ell, it took a minute,鈥 said Spike Lee, surveying the glittering Met Gala crowd during cocktail hour through bright orange glasses that matched his New York Knicks cap. 鈥淏ut we’re here now, that鈥檚 the most important thing.”
Lee was referring to the fact that for the very first time, the Met Gala was making a point of celebrating Black style and Black designers 鈥 something he felt was an overdue milestone, but a very welcome one.
鈥淟ong overdue,鈥 Lee repeated. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e here to celebrate. And who knows what’s gonna happen because of this event? There鈥檚 gonna be reverberations around the world.”
Lee was echoing an excitement that many of the approximately 400 guests 鈥 luminaries in sports, music, fashion, film, theater and more 鈥 shared as they sipped cocktails or toured the 鈥淪uperfine: Tailoring Black Style.鈥 The show is an exploration of Black menswear from the 18th century onward, with dandyism as a unifying theme.
Another film director, Baz Luhrmann, was touring the exhibit, designed by curator Monica L. Miller, a Barnard professor who literally wrote the book on dandyism: 鈥淪laves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. He, too, mused on the importance of this year鈥檚 theme.
鈥淪ometimes the subjects are fun, sometimes you go, that’s interesting. But this is a subject where you go, why has light not been shone on this before?” Luhrmann said. 鈥淏lack sartorial power on culture is so great but how much talk has there been about it?鈥
Thinking of a departed friend
For Whoopi Goldberg, the most important person of the evening wasn鈥檛 actually there. It was her the fashion editor and personality who was so important to Black style, and with whom she鈥檇 attended previous galas.
Talley, who died in 2022, is honored in the exhibit; there’s a caftan he wore, among other objects. And Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton has said he was an inspiration for the show.
鈥淚 think they did him proud,鈥 Goldberg said during cocktails. 鈥淚鈥檓 very happy to be here again, but spectacularly happy to see how they took care of him.鈥
Asked what Talley would have thought of the show, she guessed he’d say: “I鈥檓 glad you understand.鈥 And she added: 鈥淲hat better way to honor him?鈥
Goldberg was dressed head to toe 鈥 meaning mini-top hat to spats-inspired shoes, to handbag 鈥 in Thom Browne.
鈥淗e said. 鈥榃ill you come?鈥欌 Goldberg said of Browne, whose suits, particularly, are hugely popular. 鈥淎nd I said, when you’re done, just put it on me, and I鈥檓 good. I feel incredible.鈥
So what is dandyism?
It was a favored topic of conversation; every guest had a slightly different way of
For director Lee, it was simple: 鈥淒oing your own thing.鈥
For Audra McDonald, it was about 鈥渁 sense of reclaiming鈥 one鈥檚 own identity and worth. The Broadway actor, currently starring in 鈥淕ypsy,鈥 was among the first guests examining the exhibit, along with her husband and fellow actor, Will Swenson.
Over at cocktails, the Rev. Al Sharpton was describing dandyism as a form of activism: the silent kind.
鈥淚t means to me that even in the midst of being in a socially limited situation, we celebrate. I refuse to submit to just having a menial job. I’m gonna dress up . I’m gonna tip my hat. It鈥檚 a sense of rebellion without having to speak it.鈥
A crucial sense of timing
Sharpton was full of praise for the Met having chosen this moment to honor Black style.
鈥淚t comes at a very important time,鈥 he said. “To make a statement of diversity at the highest cultural level 鈥 which is the Met Gala 鈥 when diversity is under attack by the highest office in the land is more than if I could do a hundred marches. This is a monumental night.”
Broadway actor Alex Newell agreed. It was the performer’s third Met Gala in a row, but this one had a special meaning.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to see us represented this way,鈥 Newell said. 鈥淛ust when it is needed the most.”
A flower-filled night sky
Once gala guests climb the steps outside and enter the museum鈥檚 Great Hall, they encounter each year a monumental centerpiece, usually floral.
This year, it was hundreds 鈥 thousands? 鈥 of flower petals suspended from the ceiling, with lighting evoking a starry sky. The petals also hung over the Great Hall staircase, which guests ascended to greet the awaiting receiving line of gala hosts.
The petals 鈥 made of fabric, truth be told 鈥 were meant to symbolize narcissus flowers, and there were also reflecting pools, nodding to the myth of Narcissus.
The greeting was not only visual but musical: An orchestra, accompanied by swaying singers, played favorites like Al Green鈥檚 鈥淟et鈥檚 Stay Together鈥 and Stevie Wonder鈥檚 鈥淒on’t You Worry 鈥橞out a Thing,鈥
Guests then either proceeded to view the exhibit, or head straight to cocktails in the airy Engelhard Court. Often, they seem to prefer socializing, but this year the exhibit was filled with guests.
Honoring Oscar (Wilde, that is)
One of the more famous dandies, historically speaking, was Oscar Wilde. And so there was symmetry in the fact that Sarah Snook 鈥 the 鈥淪uccession鈥 star 鈥 was dressed in a way Wilde would have liked.
It was certainly intentional. Snook now is appearing on Broadway in 鈥淭he Picture of Dorian Gray,鈥 the stage adaptation of Wilde鈥檚 1891 novel in which she plays all 26 roles.
鈥淵es, There鈥檚 definitely an echo,鈥 Snook said with a smile, about her striking (and aristocratic-looking) black suit. 鈥淥scar would be happy.鈥
Snook said she was enjoying her night off at the gala 鈥 conveniently for the many guests from Broadway, theaters are dark on Mondays.
鈥淚鈥檓 loving the celebration of beautiful things,鈥 Snook said of her gala experience.
There are always first-timers
At every Met Gala, there are newbies 鈥 and they’re often rather starstruck. One of them was model Christian Latchman, 19, wearing a dramatic white ensemble that combined trousers with a long skirt.
If he looked familiar, that鈥檚 because Latchman is the face in the photograph on the cover of the exhibit鈥檚 massive hardcover catalog.
Asked to sum up his feelings about the evening, he said simply: 鈥淎stonishment. That鈥檚 the word for it.鈥
Also new to the gala was actor Keith Powers, who sat on the sidelines, soaking it in. Was it all intimidating? Overwhelming?
鈥淎ll of the above,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t makes me anxious 鈥 and happy, and inspired.鈥
A call to dinner, tuba included
Cocktails are fun, but dinner at the Met Gala sounds even more fun 鈥 that鈥檚 where guests get an A-plus musical performance, for one thing.
But music also accompanies the call to dinner. This time, it was the New York-based High and Mighty Brass Band who did the honors, snaking through cocktails with drums, trombones, a tuba and trumpets.
Then guests headed off 鈥 slowly 鈥 to dinner, where they feasted on a menu by chef Kwame Onwuachi. Dinner began with papaya piri piri salad, and moved on to creole roasted chicken with a lemon emulsion, and cornbread with honey curry butter and barbecue greens. Dessert? That was a 鈥渃osmic brownie鈥 with powdered sugar doughnut mousse.
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