K-Pop star Lisa, a member of Blackpink, drew major backlash on Monday after claims that her outfit at the Met Gala featured civil rights activist Rosa Parks’s face embroidered on her underwear went viral.
The outfit, a lacy bodysuit and blazer from Louis Vuitton, was designed by Pharrell Williams, now men’s creative director at the brand. It turns out, according to Vulture, that the pattern is drawn from artworks by Henry Taylor and actually features the faces of people the well-regarded painter knew.
As a rep for Taylor told Vulture in a statement, “The figure featured in Lisa’s Louis Vuitton look is not Rosa Parks, but one of Henry’s neighbors. The faces seen on this look, as well as on previous LV garments featuring Taylor’s artwork, are all drawn from his personal life — family members, friends, and neighbors. These figures come directly from Henry’s existing artworks, which he provided to LVMH for Pharrell’s debut collection with Louis Vuitton in 2023. None of the individuals depicted in any of the garments are Rosa Parks or other well-known figures from Black cultural history. They are all people from Henry’s own life.”
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Despite the misinformed backlash, the inclusion of garments featuring Taylor’s work was right on theme this year’s edition of the Met Gala.
For the first time in years, the Gala had a host committee to support the Costume Institute’s exhibition “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” and the theme of Black Dandyism. Featured on the committee were a number of top Black artists including Rashid Johnson, Jordan Casteel, and Kara Walker. There were a number of other major Black artists in attendance, including Taylor, Arthur Jafa, Amy Sherald, and more.