If today feels like a holiday, you’re not imagining things. After a busy weekend that saw “the fight of the century,” the birth of a new British princess and an epic Game of Thrones episode, people are sort of taking a pop-culture breather today in preparation for the onslaught tonight. The annual Met Gala is happening tonight in NYC. The theme – which was announced months ago – is “China: Through the Looking Glass.” Actually, that theme replaced the first announced theme, “Chinese Whispers: Tales of the East in Art, Film and Fashion.” Likely because “Chinese Whispers” has a negative connotation.
My first thought was that Anna Wintour is actively looking to court Chinese designers and most importantly, Chinese money. There’s a thirst for overpriced designer clothes and accessories in China, and Wintour is smart to court Chinese designers and Chinese money in a big way. But… there is a concern that the theme will lead to some big, BIG problems. Problems like… cultural appropriation, if not outright racism (accidental or otherwise). There are several women invited to this year’s Met Gala who already have a problem with cultural appropriation, like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. I’m also sort of worried about what Beyonce will do. There are also concerns that the focus on Chinese influences specifically will lead to some disasters when women arrive in, say, Indian or Japanese or Korean-influenced outfits because some Westerners don’t know the difference.
Fashionista did a big breakdown of what celebrities should avoid tonight, like “heavy ‘Oriental’-looking makeup” and “chopsticks in hair.” For real? People actually have to be told not to wear outright costumes? People have to be told not to “dress up” as a racist stereotype? Yes… this is going to be a disaster. The worst thing to happen to Chinese people since…Rupert Murdoch? Yes, Murdoch’s ex-wife Wendi Deng-Murdoch is one of the official chairs of the event, along with Jennifer Lawrence, Gong Li and Marissa Mayer. It’s going to be so messy you guys. We’ll have full coverage of the Met Gala all day tomorrow.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
More importantly, what will the Celebitches be wearing this evening? I think I may break out my finest eating sweatpants.
I’m thinking of wearing the fashion stylings courtesy of WalMart, because all of it’s made in China.
*crying laughing*
Hahahahaha
I’m going to be wearing Wintour bitchface.
http://www.celebitchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/wenn21888615.jpg
ETA: And I’ll be quietly judging all of you.
It’s feeling like a long, ratty tshirt type of evening for me. Designs by Target.
I’ve already begun dressing, in a carefully selected pair of fluffy pajama pants and a custom-tailored Bob Marley t-shirt. When I tweeted a photo of the look, my esteemed friend Kanyeezus replied to tell me that I am a revolutionary space warrior on the battlefield that is modern couture.
Shorts because winter might be over, a t-shirt, probably representing a local sports team, flip flops and a crown of pansies
I will be wearing a traditional Chinese robe. But, as I am not Chinese, mine will be cunningly disguised as a fleecy dressing gown. It is red, though.
WOW. It did not even occur to me to put some of the Met Gala fashions on my FB page for celeb fashion critiquing, but I may have to. While sitting in my exercise gear, which is made in China. And eating Chinese food.
I’m working really hard on getting my body caftan-ready for summer, so I’ll be sporting my nicest satin caftan.
If we’re doing Chinese food then I’ll wear my stain-proof muumuu, so I can eat my General Tso’s chicken lying down.
I always order pizza during big celebrity events. It puts things in perspective.
Sweatshop evening wear. How apropos
I’m wearing my One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish p.j. pants & a tie dye hoodie. Comfy!
I’m waiting for someone to dress up as a fortune cookie and call it art. This is probably going to be a hot mess.
Don’t give Lady Gaga any ideas!
Lmfao
Wait – chopsticks in hair is racist? I think hair styx are pretty. If I wear a silk jacket with chopsticks in my hair, I’m being racist and appropriating from another culture inappropriately?
I wonder what would be culturally appropriate? I’m really asking. What could someone wear that goes with the theme but isn’t culturally appropriating? What’s the line between influence and racist? What could someone who is not Chinese wear that wouldn’t cause people to be offended?
Maybe a dress from a Chinese designer?
I’m not sure where the line is either. It seems to move depending on the conversation.
I was thinking to myself, “Oh I’m sure everything will be fine as long as nobody wears false teeth (a la the ridiculous bucktoothed Asian caricature) it’s probably going to be fine.” Then I remembered that some celebrities enjoy grills and shuddered.
The whole theme is a mess. It shouldn’t exist, end of. Apparently it’s not about Chinese fashion, they treat Chinese culture as ‘fantasy’ or whatever the hell that means. You can interpret that however you want. Most famous people don’t need a high-profile industry event to appropriate cultures anyway.
I would take it as an opportunity for a collab between Chinese and Amercian designers but you know that industry is messy, they would never think of something like that.
These celebrities don’t dress themselves, they have stylists. If there was a RACIST themed outfit it would be the designer or the stylist not the actual celebrity.
This article is really Silly.
I agree and I die a little inside every time I read or hear the term “cultural appropriation”. That and “micro-agression”. Like nails on a chalk board.
Really? Like the celebrities are FORCED to wear the outfits?
Sorry, no free pass. They have a choice to NOT wear something that is completely offensive and stereotypical.
“Cultural Appropriation” is the most ridiculous concept ever! It gives PC a bad name. If everybody stuck to their own culture & didn’t mix it up, the world would never develop anything new or interesting. All cultures appropriate from each other, and that adds flavour & interest to dressing up, music, fine art, dance, literature, etc
I think the issue tumblr has is that they “take” it without regard to what it means to the culture.
Could be wrong, and I’m sure someone is more knowledgeable about this, but I believe that the hair sticks we see most frequently, though used by several cultures through history, are most notably used by the Japanese (they are called Kanzashi). So maybe the idea is that Americans will look foolish by adopting a hair style most typically associated with Japanese culture for an event celebrating Chinese design because they don’t the difference among Asian cultures??
I’ve been wearing these for years. They REALLY work for long hair! (Not getting paid for this!)
http://shaunebazner.com/collections/hair-sticks
Thanks for the link, Belle Epoch! Those sticks are lovely, and I’m thinking of getting some for daughter, who has waist-length hair. Like others, I’ve seen her use pens and my long, sharp pencils (used only as decoration on my desk) to keep her hair up.
The Fashionista article linked to has some ideas, and yes, using current Chinese designers is one the suggestions:
“The concern is people will come wearing their best Orientalia, chopsticks in their hair, and that would be horrible. We can imagine that because that’s happened in the past,” adds Minh-Ha T. Pham, a Media Studies professor at Pratt and author of “Asians Wear Clothes on the Internet: Race, Gender, and the Work of Personal Style Blogging.”
Also, don’t wear something inspired by an Asian country that isn’t China. “If a big enough celebrity shows up looking like a geisha, it’s not just the U.S. media that will tear them to pieces,” says Flora. “They’re going to be trending on Weibo within hours — and not in a good way.” A word of advice: “The main thing people need to ask is, ‘Is this design something a Chinese person would actually buy?’ They should probably be asking their Chinese friends this question rather than just asking themselves.”
Vogue Social Editor Chloe Malle, who is directly involved with the gala and will cover it for a Vogue special issue, wrote in an email to Fashionista that the official dress code is “Chinese white tie.” She says she’s not sure “anyone really knows what that means, so it will be interesting to see how guests interpret it.” While Malle says there are “extra brownie points involved” when one dresses on-theme, it’s not a requirement for entry. She suggests playing with prints and colors from the Ming Dynasty in China, incorporating jade jewelry or wearing colors like red and yellow. (Red symbolizes joy and good luck in Chinese culture, she says, while yellow is historically the imperial color and represents royalty and heroism.) “Basically, as long as no one dresses like Fred Astaire in the ‘Ziegfeld Follies,’ I’ll be relieved.”
The rest of the people I spoke with pretty much all agreed that the best and most productive way to approach the event would be to wear the designs of modern Chinese and Chinese-American designers.
I’ll add that the use of chopsticks in the hair, that’s not Chinese, that’s Japanese influence.
Thanks for this article Info
Thanks for the article, cr. If I were going – but let’s face it; everyone knows I’d never spend $25 000 to mix with people I can’t stand – I’d copy the signature style of brilliant and gorgeous Australian-Chinese chef, Kylie Kwong. Sorry, link won’t post.
I don’t see how it could be. Hair sticks have been used by the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Asian cultures, Native Americans….it’s kinda universal if you ask me. Just because the modern association is with Asia (japan in particular) doesn’t make it appropriation.
Edit: I guess the embellishment/decoration could be. But I fail to see how it would be potentially offensive that I have used a pair of pencils to hold my hair up at work.
Yes, hair sticks have been used for very, very long time, by many cultures. It’s not the appropriation, it’s that the current cultural association is primarily Japanese, which isn’t Chinese, which is why using them wouldn’t be advised. We’ll see how many stylists understand that. This is specifically Chinese themed, not generally Asian themed.
I think in everyday life no one cares whether you use chopsticks or hairsticks in your hair, or considers it cultural appropriation. In this case it’s context, using them at the Met Gala, it’s a little different.
@cr: You’re right of course, that since this is a huge deal of the Met Museum the attendees/stylists should be more aware. But it probably won’t happen.. Considering that this ball is a benefit for the costume institute of the Met Museum, you’d think that the costumers and historians might get asked for their input. But alas, it’s all about the big names and Anna Wintour and her latest power brokerage scheme.
And this Gala especially you’d think the stylists would ask for input. Getting punk or white tie wrong is annoying, but it’s not being truly culturally insensitive it’s just being clueless. This has more potential for backlash. But, as mentioned in another comment, most stylists will ignore the theme and go with basic red carpet.
@CR: not stylists, it’s the design houses that dress their guests for this. The celebrities are all their strictly as the guests of the designers.
Yeah I lived in Shanghai as a teacher for a while, and I have lots of Mandarin collared shirts and dresses, and a silk robe with Chinese embroidery. I’ve been wearing them for years now, and got them before the “cultural appropriation” buzz phrase was invented and someone decided it was racist for me to wear. Where does one draw the line? If I eat Chinese food, or use chop sticks, am I a racist now?
Well, you’ll look ridiculous anyway.
Didn’t this same issue arise with the Urban Outfitters “Native American” fashion controversy? I don’t think it’s any different. People just find it less offensive because we’re less sensitive about Asian cultures.
^THIS
Chopsticks in hair for regular use is not racist. Chopsticks in hair as a one off as part of a costume representing an “ethnic” theme is.
I’m scared for this. But I’m looking forward to somebody adding something authentic and pulling off the theme in a subtle way. Also, chopsticks in hair just makes me think of early 2000s Lizzie McGuire and Lindsay Lohan.
How’d Marissa Mayer get on that list? And on the note of powerful SV women, sad about Sheryl Sandberg’s husband this weekend.
Does anyone have an idea of where the after party is going to be? I’m guessing it won’t be at The Standard after last year’s Elevator-gate.
Cant wait for the Acid gross Geisha Cheongsan Mao Necks ( those would be the Least terrible things actually) Hot Messes to happen and Yeah I’m Looking at Cultural Appropriation Katie Perry to be front and Center of the world of NO that’s about to come down tonight
She was the first to my mind too!
Speaking of her lady of cupcake boobs, have you seen her Wonderland cover?.
(sorry it took me a minute to work out the link situation)
She’s giving me Jared Leto as Karl Lagerfeld.
Indeed, I prefer her dressing in the garbs and skins of her people so this is a big big Yes
Geishas are Japanese. And Mandarin collars can be quite nice if done right, and not dictator style. Haha I know what you mean! A few years ago there was a trend in mens wear that I called “The Mao Zedong” and it was comical. Glad it never really caught on.
Someone will probably turn up in some Keisha outfit type, their is defiantly going to easy pickings on who has looked at a world map(or a culture book) and who has not.
Can’t wait to see Gong Li. Love her.
She won the night for me. Incredible and over the top, just perfect for the Gala. Also: DAT FACE.
The appropriation comes in when people start wearing another culture’s style or dress as a “costume” or out of irony. I think there’s a difference between having a symbolic influence or nod to a particular culture in your outfit; and, also doing so from an INFORMED place. I believe this was the point that the article was trying to make in terms of your “default culture” argument. Western culture is so heavily dominant in the world and we’ve made caricatures out of other societies cultural dress. We default to our version of their culture and not what actually is their culture.
EDIT: I think the post I replied to was deleted.
Your comment reminds me of an Indian wedding I attended where the westerners, whilst well meaning, somehow wore the wrong Saris to the wedding. On the one hand, good of them to try, but on the other, they’d clearly not researched them so they’d come wearing the cheapest, nastiest Saris which were also not draped properly.
All the Indian guests were tutting throughout the wedding day. I’ve never been more grateful that I wore a simple black dress.
That sounds like such a disaster. I hate that kind of cultural appropriation. It’s’s hard to correct people (for a multitude of reasons) when they are well-meaning.
” We default to our version of their culture and not what actually is their culture.”
Very true. Ask an average person and kimonos, geishas, and samurais all come from some monolithic ‘Asian’ country with snazzy shiny details that don’t actually appear in their own culture. Not unique and special aspects of different places.
Same with how it’s just ‘Africa’.
I guess I’m not seeing the “huge mess” problem here. Will there be people dressed in what is essentially a caricature of a Chinese stereotype? Probably. Will there be people dressed in the style of the “wrong” culture? Oh most definitely. But these are a bunch of out of touch rich people who are essentially playing dress-up anyway. Since when do we expect cultural sensitivity and thoughtful contemplation out of them?
Can’t we just laugh at them if they screw up and move on? This bated breath waiting to cry out “cultural appropriation!!!!” is bordering on the ridiculous. Idiots are going to play dress up for a fashion event in ugly and probably racist fashion. It WILL happen, so why not have an eye roll and a chuckle, point out, “see, kids, this is what idiots do,” and move on.
Because laughing at the idiots has never at any point in history actually helped the people who are hurt by appropriation. I had a fun weekend reading about human zoos, so I’m kinda over turning the other cheek when idiots use ‘exotic’ lands for their bored rich entertainment.
Not a single person will be “hurt” by cultural appropriation. When I lived in China and everyone served me beef (which I don’t like) because “All Americans love beef”, I thought it was comical but I wasn’t hurt or damaged in any way by it. Nor was I hurt or damaged when Chinese people asked me if everything looked blue when you looked at things through blue eyes, or wanted to touch my nose because they wanted to “see what makes it stick out like that”, or told me that I looked like Barbie just because I have blonde hair. I just wasn’t damaged by any of it.
Ava7
Those are cultural misconceptions. Appropriation is quite another thing altogether.
To clarify: I think perhaps I was too vague. When I say hurt by appropriation I mean that the only times we seem to allow Asian style and culture to feature publicly in our own world is when we are either fetishizing it for fantasy, mocking it for stereotypes, or ignoring it.
I’ll be curious to see how this event goes and I am crossing my fingers, but I also won’t be surprised if we see shades of kimonos and hair chopsticks while someone waves a fan.
Many parts of China and Japan are racially monolithic with foreigners making up less than 10% of the population. It’s not shocking that they’d be less than informed on individuals not typically seen in their world and would ask questions based on it. America on the other hand prides itself on being the great melting pot and a leader in cultural intermingling. We keep having these issues because we frankly don’t care enough to respect other people’s opinions.
To sum it up I’m waiting to see if this event proves to be more than: We love your dollars and we tolerate you.
I’m not sure how you’d stop this kind of behavior, though. It’s not a crime and they probably don’t care much about racial issues so a well reasoned argument is going to go over their heads. (“But it’s just fun and fashion!”) Rich idiots have been doing idiotic things since forever. Look at how other rich idiots have reacted to cries of cultural appropriation. Mostly it’s like, “sorry you were offended, I don’t see what the big deal is but my PR person is making me apologize”.
What else is there to do besides shake your head, say “wow you’re dumb” and ignore them? Screaming about it just makes people defensive.
But who is screaming? Mostly they get trashed on social media and publicly which for the rich and arrogant hurts plenty. They all live and die off the cameras and getting mocked for weeks on end bruises their egos and makes them become the joke.
Idiocy isn’t a protected class, if you’re dumb you’re going to hear about it. Especially when you’ve had every opportunity and resource to not be dumb.
That’s exactly my point. We laugh at them and mock their idiocy and we move on. They want adulation and attention, but mostly attention. So we give them neither. I’m not advocating for “protecting” them, just not going the whole hand wringing and pearl clutching route lest they think what they’re doing is somehow edgy and cool. I’m all for derisive laughter at the crapshow this event is likely to be.
Is it going to be a mess? Almost definitely
Am I excited to watch it unfold? HELL YES
When is the red carpet?
I can’t wait to see miss Lawrence on the red carpet tonight! I missed her on this awards season so much
Can’t wait. It will be pleasing either way. If it’s done well it will be extremely beautiful and if done wrong it will completely amusing to watch it crash and burn. Win-win for me.
What did Kim think the theme was when she wore that couch dress? Living room furniture
Good one!
Jennifer Lawrence is an official chair? OMG I think that is hilarious.
People are trying way too hard to make her a fashion girl when she clearly doesn’t really care or put much effort into it
And she clearly has so much knowledge about Chinese culture.
I think the co-host is more about fashion than the theme.
I don’t know, it’s going to be a train wreck. At least one person will come with a fully white face and chopstick in their hair
Carey Mulligan was co-chair a few years ago, and Bradley Cooper last year – neither of whom are exactly fashion-forward. So Lawrence isn’t a particularly odd choice, and when dressed properly wears her clothes well.
That’s because it’s Dior, and she’s their big face right now. It’s all in conjunction with the museum exhibition.
As a patriots fan, i dread this night.
What will Gisele do to Tom? Please don’t give jets fans too much ammo.
Sure we have 4 Lombardi trophies but some things are impossible to defend
Oh yall. I can just see Katy Perry dressed as a dragon. I knew this would be a disaster since they announced the these. Wintour is desperate for attention maybe? She knows all the attention the photos of the messes will get.
…sometimes I think, “People can’t be this stupid. Like…this level of public ignorance can’t happen right?”
Then events like this occur and you realize a lot of folks live comfortably in their bubble.
Yeah this will devolve and I’m sure some rich person who could have paid 10x over to be informed will wear something full on costume with heavy winged liner and then pout about how they were ‘honoring’ the culture and they don’t understand why it was offensive…but they apologize to those who were offended IF they were offended.
There will probably be a few racist disasters happening, but most guests will probably completely ignore the theme and wear their most boring gowns. Usually there isn’t that much of a difference between what people weart at met gala and let’s say the oscars.
And that’s why I kinda have to side with Gwyneth Paltrow when she dissed the gala by saying that they let everyone in now. The Met Gala is just as bad as the cover of Vogue. You have to have absolutely no fashion cred to get in now, none whatsoever. Being a conventionally dressed mainstream celebrity will suffice.
What Gwyneth may be forgetting is the gala used to be just designers and models..it was about the clothes Then agents wanted their celeb clients to get one more red carpet and designers needed more exposure..now it’s just about celebs. Everybody gets to be papped like a Kardashian
Currently I just have my fingers crossed that there will actually be some dresses worn by Chinese designers, and not just the standard Milan, Paris, NY couturiers ‘teaching’ us about Chinese fashion.
Pretty low expectations, I know. But last year pretty much no-one was respectful of the theme (except Sarah Jessica Parker, and perhaps Zac Posen), leading to many embarassing displays.
I would hope the professional stylist know what they’re doing at least. There are some really beautiful things out there by Chinese designers. And I agree with you-it seems that only a very few attendees each year think about the theme when they dress.
I agree. I’m excited to see some dresses by Chinese designers.
And now for something completely different . . .
I’m always amazed at the incredibly expensive necklaces that Anna Wintour wears that get hung up on her too high necklines. For someone who is supposedly the editor of the most famous fashion magazine, she has no idea how to wear a necklace.
I was guessing something classic or old school – a la St. Laurent’s Chinese inspiration/period – or something more like a scenic designer might do, with a bit of abstract reference; when they put on Nixon in China at the Met opera years ago, it was an enormous bold scarlet poppy against a field of white.
Blue and white – like Chinese porcelain – might also be an interesting way to go.
Anyway, I hope somebody gets it dramatically right… perhaps to balance out what I dread we’ll be seeing.
(Is there a fan bet running yet – either hand-held, in the hair, hair done as an unfolded hand-fan, or in the pattern of a fabric?)
Oh! I forgot about the fans. Fans, fans, everywhere, along with chopsticks in their hair…did anyone think of maybe binding their feet, to like, you know, get really authentic? The opportunities for tone-deaf cultural appropriation at this event (as compared to the knowledgeable, restrained cultural references you describe above) are practically limitless.
This is gonna be great.
I judge the choice of theme more than whatever these people are going to wear. In context, I just feel it’s hugely inappropriate.
If I was attending, I’d just wear a Chinese designer. Then if anyone asked me about whether I was being exploitive/appropriative (I’m not Chinese), I could truthfully say that any influences were curated by someone of that culture and done with upmost respect.
Somehow I doubt that’s a decision that many attendees will make, given that they probably don’t fully understand designers can be Chinese….
Many attendees are paired with designers so they can’t really make that decision (or any decision at all).
Okay, I think we’ve finally gone across the line into over-sensitive. Was it racist when the theme was Cool Britannia or something like it?
The museum exhibit highlights and celebrates Chinese fashion and costumes. Has anyone actually gone onto Vogue.com and seen the features and behind the scenes?
And don’t forget, the celebrity guests don’t choose their attire, their designer hosts do.
Thank you. I live in Beijing right now and it is a huge population of emerging wealth where many have a lust to own designer goods as a way of saying “we’ve arrived.” My boss recently went to Paris and attested to the fact that most tourists at the designer boutiques were of Chinese origin, and boy were they on a shopping spree. Of course the fashion industry wants in on that market. This is an opportunity for Chinese designers to get some recognition and for their culture and creativity to be on display. It’s also an opportunity for people to see the modern China and its designs, and no, it’s not all about silk and Mao collars either. I hope this event goes well and I look forward to seeing how people interpret the theme.
I’m in the PNW, and it’s the same here in luxury boutiques.
Here’s what I find frustrating: If the Met Ball only honored white designers, there would be complaints about that. Are we just looking for something to complain about?
I think someone will be confused and come dressed as a geisha.
Fingers crossed!
There will be some racist hot messes for sure, but there is actually a lot you can do with this. Rich color, embroidery, China prints, etc. Dior had a collection a few years back that was Chinese inspired and it did so tastefully where it was truly an inspired homage, not appropriation. I think we will see a lot of looks from that collection tonight.
Anna Wintour looks identical to my ex sister in law right down to the haircut and color. They seem to have the same personality as well. I wonder if she has an annoying terrier with sharp claws that jumps all over people’s legs wrecking their clothes while she stands there smirking.
Damn does your ex sister-in-law suck people’s souls out with those eyes? No wonder she keeps her shades on all the time!
I can’t WAIT. I do think it’ll be a mess, but hopefully not a racist mess.
Off-topic: I always want to push Anna’s hair back out of her face!
I think a good way to celebrate it would be something symbolic rather than literal. (Chopsticks, really? Ugh) The Duchess of Cambridge chose a designer by one of the Asian countries she visited (I can’t remember which country) with a flower print of the nation’s flower. Or wearing the fern brooch in New Zealand. A little creativity and subtlety rather than straight-up literalness. For instance, in 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Why not a peony floral print or something in the color. Now they don’t have an official one but peonies are national favorites and still associated with China which could be incorporated into an outfit. It may be too literal but even something in the red/yellow resembling the flag. (But avoid looking like McDonald’s) Or something in black & white since the panda is the national animal. and very beloved. Or even a subtle messaging in Chinese characters on the fabric–I’ve seen writing on dresses done in very elegant ways. And wear Jimmy Choo’s! And there are a number of Chinese-American designers–Philip Lim, Derek Lam, Anna Sui, Alexander Wang, Vera Wang and Jason Wu. Wang and Wu would probably be especially suited to ball gowns. Chinese designers include Lu Kun who describes his clothes as provocative and daring. He has been called “China’s own Galliano.” MET clothes are often edgy. Or Guo Pei–Whenever there is some special event, many Chinese celebrities wear her clothes. She designs stunning dresses and, in her clothes, apart from using modern flavors, she always adds some Chinese elements like embroidery. So there are a lot of avenues out there–hopefully there won’t be anything too ugly. (in more ways than one)
Report: the luncheon was full of the pseudo-silk/embroidery you see on Canal Street. Oy.
This is why I hate theme parties. Next thing, you will find the cultural in-appropriation with African theme parties by african prints with jungle fever.
These celebrities just doing this met gala thing, for fun, fame, fortune, and gloating rights to tell non-celebrity people that they have money and we don’t . Well, I say they can keep their money and their arrogance, and they can shove it.
I hope these celebs come dressed in classy Chinese clothing and not so stereotyped type outfits we see when making fun of a group of peoples. I seriously do not agree with cultured theme parties because it always triggers racism. There will always be a very obnoxious individual who has no respect nor boundary they will not step over.
Lovely dress… *eyerolling*
https://twitter.com/tomandlorenzo/status/595349833239633922
Oh, no. Oh, no no no. Even for her. Good God.
I don’t think she can quite hear the dog whistle of KuntyKarl’s truly diabolical sense of humor.
Way to set the tone for an evening of fancy fuzzy navels, O Hostess from Weeki Watchee Springs Hell, Circa 1972.
So far, that’s the worst look so far, those sleeves are just awful. But Allison Williams and Emma Roberts have managed to be very boring.
ETA: Chloe Sevigny, WTF?
GAK!
Can’t someone please tell Anna Wintour that the hair perpetually hanging in her face doesn’t really hide the nose. It just looks like she’s always about to eat the ends…
That’s what I’ve always thought, too… that she was trying to balance the schnoz-beak with such a severe, sharp-angled style. Laughing at your image of her trying to nibble at the ends.
I’m more here for the Chinese celebs they’ve invited. I can’t wait to see them kick ass in their clothing.
As for the offensive nature of the event that will inevitably unfold: it’s gonna happen. And yeah, I’ll call it out. I just wish our nation actually CARED more about Asia, at least enough to do this theme correctly.
Twigs brought it. I can’t believe what a lot of look she can pull off for such a little girl.
Love that she went there.
There will likely be some problems, but the incentive NOT to offend a huge market may keep the worst at bay. Looking forward to seeing what atrocity Dior puts on JLaw though.
So Kaiser, I took a look at all the photos. Some of the women to varying degrees decided to play into the whole Orientalia kitsch. Karolina Kurkova looked like a cocktail waitress at Lucky Chengs, Rihanna just looked stupid and stupidly uncomfortable in that unwieldy cape/tent. But, in my opinion, the worst offender for cartoonish, cultural ignorance was SJP in that ridiculous hat from Philip Treacy. Overall, many of the guest put the costume in Costume Institute.
I’m wearing a Buster Brown wig just like Anna’s
Well, I read there were Chinese actors and celebs in attendance. So were they interviewed? Or was the focus on American celebs, as usual?
It defeats the point of having a gala with a theme based on Chinese culture and history when the people from the country being used as “inspiration” for this party went ignored and weren’t given enough attention by the media.
So basically these Chinese celebs were invited as a token: they were there as another prop to fit the theme. They were not there because people want to appreciate their culture and rich history, but so nobody can say ‘where are the Chinese people in a Chinese-themed party?!’
It’s not blatantly racist, but it is very dismissive. People put on the costumes for fun but pay no attention to the actual people whose culture and history they are borrowing.