Fall 2021
W27
Issue 01
Why Kim K’s Met Gala Dress Was Actually On Par With This Year’s Theme By Aditi Pardeshi (Fashion Business Management ‘22) The theme of the Met Gala this year was America: a Lexicon of Fashion. (Aside: do any Americans except English teachers even know what the word “lexicon” means?) Set as a fundraising event but better known as the “Oscars of fashion,” the night celebrates designers (and, ironically, with a low turnout of American designers) with a hefty price tag nonetheless. According to the Vogue website, “the event welcomes stars, young creatives and industry paragons.” This year, it meant inviting influencers and teen actors and actresses.
the way Kris Jenner has marketed them to become powerhouses in swaying all industries and building the standards of society that we know of today. Just observing her dress at first glance, we see a curvaceous silhouette, a ghost, an empty figure. Her substance-less character hides within the blankness of her dress. The eye naturally gravitates towards her mannequin-like posture with the positioning of the geometric train. Her pointy shoes give off a “Cruella de Vil” vibe: she is here to be known and to be seen. The most interesting part of her outfit is that despite the public not being able to see her face, arguably a person’s most recognizable feature, we can immediately see that the “shadow”, seemingly without the existence of her body, is West. She is being seen without being shown — arguably a degree of anonymity. But can you really be anonymous in a body-con outfit as Kim Kardashian West?
One of the most controversial looks of the night was, of course, Kim Kardashian West. Seeing the reality TV star in the headlines is no big surprise to anyone in today’s time. With the Met Gala, the world of the reality star clashed with the opinions of informed (and uninformed) speakers on her controversial outfit. Donning an all-black jersey dress with the guidance of Demna Gvasalia, the creative director of Balenciaga, the thought process behind the dress was “what’s more American than a T-shirt head to toe?!” What could possibly be more American than glorifying a person built by notoriety and plastic In all black, we only see her silhouette which speaks a thousand surgery? The Kardashians have little to be commended for except words for itself. The impact of the Kardashians on body image and the perceptions of curvaceous women is unparalleled and arguably
Kim at the Met Gala by Donna Hellberg 5
