At the 2021 Met Gala, between the fancy dresses and original costumes, it is the pieces with political statements that stole the spotlight. The highly anticipated fashion event of the year took place last Monday on the 13th of September under the theme « American Fashion.» Many participants did not shy away from making the event political.
It is the case of model and actress Cara Delevingne. She wore a white bullet proof vest with white pants and shoes designed by Maria Grazia Chiuroi from the house of Dior. The key feature of her outfit was the message written in red in the middle of her vest stating « Peg the Patriarchy. »
©TAYLOR HILL VIA GETTY IMAGES
The word « peg » refers to the action of a woman penetrating a cis man in a sexual context. By using this strong slogan, the actress wanted to promote equality and women’s rights.
While a part of the public applauded her action, another denounced a not so well thought initiative. Some people considered her outfit as a classic white feminist approach to gender issues. Wearing a bullet proof vest appeared to many as reference to police brutality, to which Cara Delevingne, as a white cis woman, is far from being the primary target.
Moreover, the artist behind the sentence « Peg the Patriarchy », Luna Matatas, who is a queer woman of colour, was not credited neither by the model nor the designer. Taking ideas from minorities and small businesses is a big problem in today’s fashion industry. While claiming to promote woman’s equality, the actress actually failed to support another woman less privileged than her, which is quite oxymoronic for a feminist discourse.
As they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And the one where fashion and politics intertwine remains extremely slippery.
