Five designers of color who have dominated the Met Gala red carpet
- From Rihanna's yellow Guo Pei cape, to AOC's "Tax the Rich" gown, designers of color have used the Met Gala as a way to celebrate their cultures and make statements.
- The Met Gala returns to Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute on Monday, May 2nd.
From Rihanna's attention-grabbing Guo Pei canary yellow gown, to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's statement dress, celebrities and designers have used the Met Gala red carpet to celebrate their cultures, push the boundaries of fashion, and send messages. In the past, designers of color have used their talents and the Met Gala's platform to create conversation-starting garments.
The Met Gala returns on Monday, May 2nd, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City.
Here are five designers of color who have had showstopping looks appear on the Met Gala red carpet:
Aurora James
The dress US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore to the 2021 Met Gala drew attention for making a political statement. It was an all-white mermaid gown with the words "TAX THE RICH" in bold, red letters.
The designer behind the dress was Aurora James, founder of Brother Vellies, a New York-based footwear and accessories company.
This wasn't the first time the Canadian-born designer's work was featured at the Met Gala. In 2019, the designer herself wore a personal, woven design, and in 2018, she attended as Solange's guest. Both James and Solange wore custom accessories and shoes from Brother Vellies.
Kenneth Nicholson
Kenneth Nicholson, a native of Alabama, made his Met Gala debut in 2021 when he designed the suit NASCAR driver Lewis Hamilton wore. He has been a rising star in the fashion world, earning a nomination for the 2021 CFDA American Emerging Designer of the Year award.
Nicholson's company is centered around luxury menswear where he draws influences from his southern roots and 1990s fashion.
Thai Nguyen
Vietnamese American fashion designer Thai Nguyen of Thai Nguyen Atelier, made his Met Gala debut in 2017 with a dress for LaLa Anthony. She stunned the red carpet with a sheer black gown.
Nguyen got his start in fashion at his parents sewing school at the age of 9. He initially made clothing for dolls, but by high school he was creating costumes for the drama club. His garments have been worn by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Jeannie Mai Jenkins, and Anika Noni Rose.
Nguyen is a co-host of the Netflix's show, "Say I Do," where he helps contestants plan their weddings. He also designs wedding dresses.
Edvin Thompson
Jamaican-born designer Edvin Thompson made his debut at the Met Gala in 2021.
His brand Theophilio, which is based in Brooklyn, designed the red-and-black gown worn by track star, Sha'Carri Richardson. He won CFDA's Emerging Designer of the Year award in 2021. Theophilio pays homage to designs native to his home country of Jamaica.
Thompson was one of the half a dozen young Black designers Lewis Hamilton brought to the Gala in 2021, in an effort to promote their work.
Guo Pei
Chinese-born designer Guo Pei was the creative force behind Rihanna's trailing yellow cape in 2015. According to Pei in an interview with Forbes, Rihanna reached out to the designer after seeing a picture of the dress online. Pei said she did not know much about Rihanna at the time, but the dress went on to become one of the most talked about garments of the night.
In 1982, Pei was a part of the first class of students in China's first fashion design major at the Beijing Second Light Industry School. Since then, over the decades, Pei made a name for herself designing extravagant gowns with intricate details for some of the biggest celebrities and politicians.