The most prominent and most exclusive social event in the world with a breezy $35,000 per person ticket resumed this September after being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event usually held on the first Monday of May for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. A bizarre premise where the highlight for viewers is watching hundreds of well-known celebrities, ranging from singers to models to politicians to athletes, prestigiously walk down a large red carpet to display their interpretation (or more accurately their designer’s interpretation) of the year’s theme. This year’s theme, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, was co-chaired by actor Timothee Chalamet, singer Billie Eilish, poet and activist Amanda Gorman, and tennis superstar Naomi Osaka.
I have never watched the Met Gala live but I enjoy pouring over the morning-after critiques of the best and worst dressed celebrities. The classifications of best and worst are subjective as fashion is an art meant to evoke emotion and not always mirror society’s objective beauty standards. This event is the definition of privilege and societal elitism, yet a momentous opportunity to use celebrity clout as a vehicle for up-and-coming designers to have their work on display. What astounded me was not Kim Kardashian’s failed attempt to resemble a Dementor from Harry Potter, nor Cara Develigne’s relatable “Peg the Patriarchy” shirt (the outfit was designed by Christian Dior however the “Peg the Patriarchy” 2018 trademark belongs to Toronto sex and pleasure educator Luna Matatas who has yet to receive credit), but rather Billie Eilish’s behind the cameras activism. By agreeing to wear Oscar de la Renta’s show-stopping peach tulle ball gown with the only condition that the company stopped using fur, Eilish created a symbiotic relationship between fashion and activism. Fashion wants celebrities’ platforms and activist celebrities want change. According to The New York Times Eilish has become “perhaps the only Met Gala guest in history to elicit an ethical policy change from a company as a condition of wearing its gown to fashion’s version of the Super Bowl.”
Celebrities’ performative attempt of activism through their outfits such as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez’s “Tax the Rich” dress holds the same caliber as posting a black square on Instagram in the summer of 2020. Eilish’s actions are far from performative but eliciting real change within the fashion industry. Prior to the pandemic, growing environmental concerns pressured large corporations and fashion brands to reduce their ecological footprint. Specifically in the fashion industry, volatile criticism of the highly profitable and exploitative business model of “fast fashion” inspired consumer behaviour in thrifting secondhand clothing and being conscious of brands’ environmental mandates. Award shows and celebrity events featuring luxurious red-carpet coverage of celebrity outfits where the outfits would be worn once for that event, could arguably be said to reinforce fast fashion’s perpetual presence in everyday consumerism, especially in women’s fashion.
Consumer behaviour is not solely dictated through celebrity actions but celebrity clout can heavily influence the corporate and brand decisions on what to sell to everyday individuals such as myself. Media’s influence is more prevalent today with the various social media platforms where new careers such as social media influencers have emerged to impact consumer decision making. The inherent web of connections between fashion companies, influencers, and celebrity events consequently ensnares consumers in the latest fashion trends. Many young consumers want to choose brands that are environmentally conscious or support BIPOC creators, but when the selections can be heavily influenced by actors, models, singers et cetera, we are offered what celebrities want. If celebrities aren’t pushing for recycled materials or ethically produced goods, it becomes much more difficult for shoppers to find brands and products at reasonable prices. Therefore, Eilish’s bargain with Oscar de la Renta was an integral step into a new definition of “influencer”. Not only will thousands of young viewers most likely change their hairstyle to resemble Eilish’s Marilyn Monroe-esque platinum blonde locks, but Eilish has quite literally influenced the selection of products available to patrons. Celebrities have this power (and maybe responsibility) to actively seek change in the companies they wear and support. Whether Billie Eilish realizes it or not, she could have potentially triggered a modern and necessary realization between fashion and influence.