Models demonstrate at the Met Gala, expressing opposition to the contentious theme.
In response to the 2023 Met Gala’s theme honouring Karl Lagerfeld, several models have voiced their disapproval through a demonstration.
On May 1, 2023, the annual fashion gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City celebrated the opening of the Costume Institute’s exhibition titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” This exhibit sought to commemorate the late German designer’s life and extensive body of work.
Despite the theme, announced by Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, attracting widespread attention, it also invited criticism due to Lagerfeld’s past controversial remarks.
Before the event, where an array of celebrities were set to grace the Met Gala’s steps, some models seized the opportunity to stage a protest against Lagerfeld’s past behaviours in the fashion industry.
“The decision to commemorate Lagerfeld highlights the contradiction within an industry that claims to be forward-thinking, espousing body positivity and supporting survivors, while simultaneously paying homage to figures like Lagerfeld without acknowledging their regressive perspectives,” Sara Ziff, founder of the Model Alliance, explained to Jezebel.
Model Alliance, a group formed in 2012 to champion models’ rights and safety, publicly expressed their disapproval through a protest on the Met Gala’s iconic steps the day before the annual gala.
The protest saw participation from several notable figures such as L’Oreal Global Ambassador Nidhi Sunil, models Ambra Gutiérrez, Mamé Adjei, Rozi Levine and Roberta Little, and New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, as reported by Jezebel.
Lagerfeld’s controversial past includes disparaging comments about marginalized communities and public personalities, including repeated criticism of women.
Actress Jameela Jamil criticized the decision to pay tribute to Lagerfeld at the Met Gala shortly after it was revealed last year, recalling the inappropriate way he wielded his influence.
“Lagerfeld was indeed highly talented, but he often used his position most offensively, primarily against women, quite regularly until his final years, without expressing regret, offering restitution, apologies, or extending support to the communities he had insulted. There was no justification for his cruel outbursts,” Jamil wrote.
Besides his fat-shaming comments aimed at models and public figures, Lagerfeld also had a track record of making disturbing remarks about the treatment of models in the fashion industry.
In 2018, Lagerfeld revealed his frustration with the MeToo movement, telling Numéro fashion magazine, “If you don’t want to be in compromising situations, don’t become a model! Join a convent, there will always be room for you there. They are even hiring!”
As Ziff highlighted, the event is expected to see numerous tributes to Lagerfeld, with a noticeable absence of critiques regarding his behaviour. “The Met Gala, coincidentally falling on International Workers’ Day, will be celebrating the creative genius of Karl Lagerfeld,” Ziff told protestors on Sunday, as per Jezebel. “What will probably be left unsaid about Lagerfeld, with whom I often worked as a model, is his troubling views towards women who didn’t conform to his harmful and antiquated standards.”
As the fashion world grapples with Lagerfeld’s legacy and the broader question of responsibility and respect in the industry, this protest underscores the need for a deeper conversation and action. The Model Alliance and those who joined them in a protest called for the fashion industry to celebrate its visionaries and acknowledge their failings, ensuring that respect and dignity become inherent to the fashion world. They hope that protests like these will spur the fashion industry to reevaluate its standards and commitments, placing a greater emphasis on inclusivity, respect, and understanding.
