5 Ways the Met Gala Could Have Done Better: May 16, 2024

It’s Day 21 of my Spring Challenge! (Spring Challenge can now legally grab a beer - but won’t)

As a reminder, this challenge means that either you get an email in your inbox 5 times per week until May 31st (which means I get a set of luxurious, vintage jammies) OR I have to donate $5 to a charity I hate for every week that I miss the goal.

Series #4: 5 Ways the Met Gala Could Have Done Better

It’s a swamped, swamped week. Right now, I have something in the oven that will be ready in fifteen minutes - so let’s do this!

It’s no secret that the Met Gala is getting less and less popular each year. Most people forget it exists and when they remember, it’s now seen as out-of-touch and crass. On top of that, it’s boring.

Currently, several celebrities at the Met Gala are targets of the Blockout 2024 movement for celebrating at a moment when the world is in chaos during the Israel-Palestine conflict. The aim is to hold the rich and famous accountable and have them use the platform they have for good.

I’m not going to lie: I was immensely disappointed when I saw most of the looks at the Met Gala roll out. I am 100% not an expert and definitely hate to throw shade, so I’m sure there’s a bunch of stuff I’m not considering at all.

With that said, with a theme like “Garden of Time” and the Spring Exhibition of vintage clothing, it would have been great to see more of a hearkening to nature, the past, and how it plays into clothing today.

Today’s Pick: Traditional Fabrics

We’ve talked a bunch about traditional fabrics in previous editions. Using traditional fabrics would have been such a great way to stick to the Met Gala theme - not only are most fabrics made from natural materials (GARDEN!), but most have a millennia-long history (TIME!).

Plus, I’d have loved for the Met Gala to highlight these techniques. Not only would this be a great one-time financial opportunity for traditional artisans, but this could have been a great way for more people to learn about traditional textiles and increase their popularity, so there’s more funding to bring them back.

So here are my top 3 picks for what really fits the Met Gala bill of nature, history, and sustainability, based on previous Cross Couture editions:

1. Piña: Made from the leaves and fibers of pineapples! Has a strong intersection between colonialism and traditional weaving! Often comes in floral motifs! How is this NOT perfect?

2. Cambodian Golden Silk: Another super regional material, with the silkworms having adapted to Cambodia’s weather. Not only is it thousands of years old, with ties to India and China, but it’s been dying out due to a pretty significant world history event: The Khmer Rouge regime.

3. Seung: Another Cambodian specialty, plus the pieces usually depict natural life.

And now, my food is ready and I really MUST eat - talk to y’all later! Tell me what you thought of the Met Gala this year <3

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xoxo,

Simran