Ok-pop icon Lisa of Blackpink grew to become the topic of controversy in the course of the Met Gala final night time, Might 5, after netizens incorrectly claimed that she wore an outfit displaying a picture of Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks throughout the crotch. There have been certainly dozens of faces embroidered throughout her translucent black-lace jacket and strapless bodysuit from Louis Vuitton (LV) — however these likenesses have been all created by modern artist Henry Taylor, and Rosa Parks was not amongst them.
Set up view of Henry Taylor: B Facet on the Whitney Museum of American Artwork (photograph Hrag Vartanian/Hyperallergic)
Taylor had collaborated with Met Gala Co-Chair Pharrell Williams in 2023 for the latter’s debut assortment upon his appointment as LV’s artistic director for menswear. The artist supplied the style home with samples of his present portraiture, which in flip transformed them into micro-embroidered gildings that appeared on a few of Pharrell’s assortment appears. Taylor additionally painted Pharrell’s portrait for the duvet of Vogue’s Might concern.
Taylor additionally attended final night time’s Met Gala, which was themed “Tailored For You” to have a good time the Superfine: Tailoring Black Fashion exhibition. He was styled by Pharrell, and wore a white button-down that includes his personal embroidered portraits.
Henry Taylor on the Met Gala on Might 5, 2025, sporting a shirt printed together with his portraits (photograph by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Photos)
Pharrell additionally styled Lisa for the gala, together with rising popstar Sabrina Carpenter, Grammy-winning breakout rapper Doechii, and actor Jeremy Allen White. Lisa’s customized look deployed the identical portraits included in Pharrell’s debut assortment, besides they have been offered as black outlines relatively than colourful embroidery.
This controversy comes months after alleged movies of Lisa and different members of Blackpink reciting the N-word whereas singing alongside to a number of songs throughout their coaching days have been leaked and shared throughout social media, including gas to the latest fireplace. The group has not issued an official assertion concerning the controversy.
Rhea Nayyar (she/her) is a New York Metropolis-based workers reporter at Hyperallergic. She acquired a BFA from Carnegie Mellon College and has a ardour for small-scale artworks, elevating minority views,…
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