A graphic made for our coverage of this year's Met Gala.

Jackson McCoy

A graphic made for our coverage of this year’s Met Gala.

Met Gala 2023

May 2, 2023

Karl Lagerfeld is not worth celebrating at this year’s Met Gala

Wikimedia Commons

An image of Karl Lagerfeld from 2008.

The first Monday of May (May 1 this year) was the esteemed Met Gala Monday, and celebrities are lining up with either $50,000 for a ticket or $300,000 for a table. While this is a huge night for fashion and pop culture every year, this year’s theme has already drawn much controversy.

The theme for this year is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” and goes alongside the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition of the same name. Lagerfeld was a force in the fashion industry, having designed for houses like Chanel, Patou, Balmain, Chloé, Fendi, and his own eponymous brand. Lagerfeld died in 2019 at age 85, so the dress code was simply “in honor of Karl.”

Lagerfeld’s career may have been massively influential, but to honor his life at such a public event is simply disgraceful. 

Throughout his career as an illustrious designer, Lagerfeld has encouraged and defended the practice of hiring women who are incredibly skinny. He often voiced his dislike for women larger than sizes 0 or 2.

One of his most infamous instances of fatphobia was when, in 2009, he told German magazine Focus “No one wants to see curvy women.” This is, in fact, not true and unhealthy

Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg. In 2012, he made headlines after calling Adele “A little too fat,” and then “apologized” by saying he was referring to Lana Del Rey, the Vogue cover girl at the time. 

The following year, he went on a French television program and lambasted bigger women, saying “The hole in social security, it’s also [due to] all the diseases caught by people who are too fat,” and “There are less than one percent of anorexic girls. But there are — in France, I don’t know in England — over 30 percent of girls [who are] big, big, overweight. And that is much more dangerous and very bad for the health.”

In addition to his fatphobic comments that have harmed many young women and girls throughout the world, Lagerfeld has also been a vocal opponent to the #MeToo movement.

“If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery, there’ll always be a place for you in the convent,” he said in a 2018 interview with Numero (the original article with this interview has since been removed from the magazine’s website). 

Despite all the controversy and years of making a public persona out of degrading women, Lagerfeld is still being honored at the Met Gala as an icon. His contributions to fashion are objectively massive, but there were several other possible designers and fashion stars that could have been celebrated instead. 

Vivienne Westwood, who died in late December 2022, was a groundbreaking woman in the world of fashion, and popularized punk and new wave aesthetics. Without her, the punk fashion that has been sticking it to the man and defying the system for years would be nothing. Her distinct style would have made an amazing exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and would have inspired several groundbreaking looks on the red carpet.

André Leon Talley, who also died in 2022, would have made an amazing honoree at this year’s ball. He was Vogue’s first black editor, and his contributions to the black fashion scene through articles about designers like LaQuan Smith would have given celebs a truly massive catalog to choose from. He also had a very unique style, with outfits that often had grand capes and large jackets that could be easily translated into new designs for everyone to watch. 

While Lagerfeld’s comments are examples of an underlying problem in the fashion industry and have become standard for modeling, this does not and should not be the case. He was a deeply misogynistic man, and despite all of the “favorite memories” shared by guests at the Met Gala, is still deeply flawed. There is no reason to continue to put misogyny on a pedestal, and the Met Gala should know better than to celebrate such behavior.

About the Contributor
Photo of Jackson McCoy
Jackson McCoy, Staff Writer, Editor-in-Chief

Jackson McCoy is a senior here at JAHS and has been with the Pioneer Press for three years. As the Senior Class President and member of NHS, Jackson enjoys...

America’s campiest night

Pop culture’s most important night arrived in full force last night: the Met Gala commenced on Monday May 1, with this year’s theme being all about designer Karl Lagerfeld’s style and legacy. All of the biggest names in fashion, movies, and more were there and gave us some amazing, and sometimes bizarre, outfits. 

Overall, designs were styled with Lagerfeld’s signature elegance in mind. Pearls, flowers, feathers, and crystals dominated the red carpet. Additionally, many dresses had personal touches that served as an homage to the designer, like black gloves, white undershirts, and dark sunglasses.

 

Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray pose for a picture together. (Getty Images)
Rapper Sean Combs (better known as Diddy) wore a large black coat over his all-black suit. (Getty Images)
Jenna Ortega faces the photographers. (Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red was not just limited to the carpet tonight, as several attendees adorned scarlet dresses and suits. This was another homage to Lagerfeld’s extensive use of the color for dresses throughout his career.

 

Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade strike a pose in their Met Gala fits. (Getty Images)
“The Last of Us” star Pedro Pascal flashes a knee in front of the photographers.
Award-winning actress Salma Hayek stops for pictures. (Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wedding-dress style clothing was also a prevalent part of the attire. Lagerfeld was especially known for his wedding dresses, and several Met Gala guests actually wore these dresses (or dresses styled in a similar manner) to the event.

 

Penelope Cruz and Dua Lipa posede for pictures together. Both of them served as co-chairs of this year’s event.
Rapper Bad Bunny stopped for several pictures. Not photographed here is the opening in the back of his suit. (Getty Images)
Rapper and internet sensation Ice Spice poses with her own bejeweled camera. (Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As previously mentioned, pearls and gems were a huge part of the show and Lagerfeld’s designs. Several stars took this particular choice and ran with it, delivering some incredibly flashy designs.

 

Kim Kardashian faces the paparazzi in her pearl-laden outfit. (Getty Images)
Model Anoka Yai sports a sequenced gold and white dress, paying tribute to one of Lagerfeld’s favorite color combinations. (Getty Images)
“Euphoria” actress Sydney Sweeney stands tall in her jewel covered dress. (Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The feather and flower motif-based clothes were some of the night’s best, as several designers opted to go for Lagerfeld’s favorite design choices. While sometimes the feathers and flowers can get out of hand at the Met Gala, that just makes everything look way more extravagant.

 

Holding on to her feather crown, Florence Pugh looks towards the cameras. (Getty Images)
“What We Do in the Shadows” actor Harvey Guillén flares his coat on the red carpet. (Getty Images)
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky both made appearances at the Gala this year. (Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this year’s most bizarre outfits. Every year, it’s often the same attendees wearing the most absurd clothes and this year was no exception. Thank you Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and Jared Leto for continuing to show us what the fringes of fashion can look like while also paying tribute to Lagerfeld’s famous cat, Choupette.

 

Jared Leto ditched traditional Met Gala clothing in exchange for a massive cat costume made in the likeness of Choupette.
On top of her sparkling dress, singer Doja Cat decided to add intense cat make-up to her Met Gala apparel. (Getty Images)
Compared to the other Choupette inspired looks, Lil Nas X’s bejeweled costume is a little more abstract. (Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year seems to be a revival of sorts for the Gala, as last year’s event was met with dislike. One review  published by Cherwell called the 2022 ball “Disappointing and passionless,” and while not many professional reviews about this year have been written, twitter reaction has been very positive.

About the Contributor
Photo of Jackson McCoy
Jackson McCoy, Staff Writer, Editor-in-Chief

Jackson McCoy is a senior here at JAHS and has been with the Pioneer Press for three years. As the Senior Class President and member of NHS, Jackson enjoys...

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