In line with their American-centric slogan “In America, A Lexicon Of Fashion” this year, the Met Gala event attempts to bring a more culturally-diverse and inclusive set of American identities, but one might question if it was truly representative of all minorities
The long-awaited inclusion of Native American model Quannah Chasinghorse at the Met Gala 2021 lineup had all of us squirming in our seats as we watched her storm into the Gala fashion scene with her outfit’s celebration of iconic Navajo turquoise jewellery and gold lamé dress with chain accents that highlights a kind of Native empowerment and awakening of Native American fashion.
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This year, the Met Gala ran with the theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” and there was a greater representation of different cultures and ethnicities that make up the melting pot and social fabric of the United States.
With a dream team of culturally significant co-chairs such as Amanda Gorman, Timothée Chalamet, Naomi Osaka, and Billie Eilish put in place, there was a great expectation that we would be able to see more personalities and celebrities of colour that could inspire and empower minority communities and individuals out there.
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Chasinghorse, a 19-year-old IMG model of Hän Gwich’in and Oglala Lakota background, worked together with designer Peter Dundas to create a look that showcased her Native American heritage and to highlight the underrated beauty of Native art and culture in fashion. Dundas told Vogue, “I love how she makes her heritage such a strong part of her visual identity, which I realise we are missing in fashion.”
The gold dress not only gives her a goddess-like stature with the ethereal effect of heavenly wings from the billowing cape, but it also does not take the limelight away from the real stars of the show: Navajo turquoise and silver jewellery—an important cultural signature of the tribe.
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