Annual Met Gala pays tribute to American fashion
John Shearer
Billie Eilish at the 2021 Met Gala in a sheer dress, inspired by old Hollywood and Marilyn Monroe.
The annual Met Gala was held last Monday to end New York’s 2021 Fashion Week and this year was “rather interesting”, said Dr. William Henshaw, a costume designer for the theatre production here at Henderson State University. The Met Gala is an annual fashion event hosted by the Editor in Chief of Vogue Magazine, Anna Wintour. This year’s theme was “In America: A Lexicon In Fashion.”
Celebrities had to be vaccinated in order to attend and since there was not a Met Ball last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many big stars were not in attendance this year like Billy Porter who is a public figure that Henshaw says he looks up to for fashion.
“It was not as over the top as it could have been… this year’s fashion did not outrank the past Met Galas” said Henshaw.
Commentators of the Met Gala say this year the celebrities did not go far enough in fashion to fit the theme that was chosen. Henshaw agrees with those comments and says he likes the idea of American Fashion and paying homage to America, but he wished everyone would have stuck to the theme and made the most out of it.
As a costume designer, Henshaw has looked for inspiration from past Met Galas for his work. He was inspired by Met Gala fashion for his work in Hotel Cassiopeia. This is also one of his most favorite pieces he has done, he says and calls it very much “dream fashion.”
Henshaw announces that the fashion for the upcoming plays and musicals for HSU will be based on the time periods they are playing in. We will see 2000s fashion and 1860’s fashion, there will also be an “interesting twist” which he isn’t allowed to spoil just yet.
Anna Wintour announced there will be a part two of “In America: A Lexicon In Fashion” and is set back to its original date for the first Monday of the month of May. Many celebrities will once again walk the red carpet on May 2nd, 2022. Hopefully celebrities who could not or did not attend this past Monday can attend in May. Stars who are always anticipated for their fashion who did not make it Monday are Zendaya, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Billy Porter, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Jay Z, Kylie Jenner, and many others.
“Fashion is the epitome of what we do, its high society. Those who can’t afford can’t do and those who can afford to try.” Says Henshaw when asked what is the meaning of fashion.
