I never understood the hype around fashion until most recently when I became a founder and editor of this digital media platform. Fashion to me used to seem so frivolous, extravagant, vain and just expensive to even fathom. I am ashamed to say that prior to being fully immersed in the media , I always judged those who bragged about what designers they were wearing. In my mind, who cares? I cared about those working at the forefront of global development, talking about eradicating poverty, the Sustainable Development Goals and changing the world through business and so on. The fact is fashion is actually at the forefront of activism and impact more than I realized. The fashion industry serves as a platform for communication about the times we live in, the people who rule the era and the values being upheld.
Given TANTV’s niche interest as a space that aims to provide smart journalism for the African diaspora , our attention on documenting the diaspora spans across all facets. Just like the majority of existing media outlets we admire, fashion is at the helm.
As fashion depicts the times we live in, it requires accurate representation, to tell the stories of the diversity that exists in a society. When you see yourself, your culture or values represented in a fashion magazine, at NYFW or the MET GALA, it generates a sense of inclusion.
When it comes to inclusivity, the fashion industry has certainly made progress on the runways and behind the seams but there is still room for more of us Africans and multicultural individuals.
The Met ball, or Met gala, is the fashion world equivalent of the Oscars. It’s an evening when designers, models, and Hollywood stars convene in the year’s most over-the-top looks to celebrate and fundraise at a new exhibit from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Typically, everyone dresses to the theme, and according to the feel of the exhibit; past themes have included camp, religion, punk, and more. Typically held on the first Monday in May, this year, the event was postponed due to COVID-19 and fell right in the middle of fashion month.
Fashion’s biggest night was held at its usual location: the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The gala was in celebration of the Costume Institute’s newest exhibition, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” the style is all about modern America, playing up tropes of expression and individuality. The exhibition opens to the public in the Anna Wintour Costume Center on September 18th.
TANTV has selected some of the coolest Africans and multicultural celebrities who shined on the red-carpet:
Rihanna in Balenciaga Couture, Maria Tash, Thelma West and BVLGARI jewelry and A$AP Rocky in ERL
Michaela Coel in Balenciaga
Iman in Dolce&Gabbana x Harris Reed
Amanda Gorman in Vera Wang
Lupita Nyong’o in Versace
Naomi Osaka in Louis Vuitton
Normani in Valentino and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry
Helen Lasichanh and Pharrell Williams in Chanel
Whoopi Goldberg, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Carey Mulligan in Valentino
Tomi Adeyemi and Giveon
Yara Shahidi in Dior
Tyler Mitchell
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Brother Vellies and Aurora James
Winnie Harlow in Iris van Herpen
Venus Williams in Prabal Gurung
Teyana Taylor in Prabal Gurung
Simone Biles in Area and Fred Leighton Jewelry
Michael Kors and Regina King in Michael Kors Collection
Anok Yai in Oscar de la Renta and Ana Khouri jewelery
Allyson Felix in Fendi Ballgown Adorned with 240,000 Ostrich Feathers
Adut Akech in Michael Kors Collection
Precious Lee in Area
Paloma Elsesser in Zac Posen
Ava in Prada
Marcus Samuelsson in DapperDanHarlem
Cynthia Erivo in Moschino by designer Jeremy Scott
Jackie Aina in Fe Noel
Dev Hynes carried a red lunch-bag-looking tote from Medea
Kerby Jean-Raymond in Pyer Moss
Joan Smalls in Ralph Lauren
Huma Abedin in Greta Constantine dress.
Gabrielle Union in Iris van Herpen and Jimmy Choo shoes
KiKi Layne in Khiry jewelry and Ashton Sanders
Virgil Abloh Wearing Louis Vuitton