While the 2021 MET Gala, themed “America'' was by no means a stand-out year, it allowed for one attendee to truly utilize their platform. Lewis Hamilton is a British racing driver competing in Formula One under Mercedes. He’s made his mark on the Fashion industry sporting looks from top designers and being coined “F1’s best-dressed man.” At this year's MET Gala, Hamilton utilized his platform by bringing black designers Jason Rembert, Kenneth Nicholson, and Theophilio to walk the red carpet and sit at his table during the event. Hamilton stated that he wanted to “create something meaningful and would spark conversation.” Very little can be said about the performative activists of the night that thought “Tax the Rich '' and “Peg the Patriarchy '' was a sufficient form of protest
Jason Rembert, who styled attendees such as Rita Ora, Ben Platt, and Baby for the night, is a New York-based artist whose editorial work can be seen on the cover of Vogue and is listed in The Hollywood Reporter’s “Most Powerful Stylists of the Year.” Kenneth Nicholson is an LA-based designer, having launched his namesake brand in 2016. His work has been featured in countless magazines and is a 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards nominee for American Emerging Designer of the Year. Nicholson was given the opportunity to dress Lewis Hamilton at this year's MET Gala. The Jamaican-born designer, Edvin Thompson or “Theophilio,” is based in Brooklyn, and focuses on his heritage and roots to derive inspiration in his work. Thompson was featured in the Spring22 Fashion Week lineup and was the recipient of this year’s Vogue Fashion Fund
It is important to note the estimated price of the MET Gala tickets, believed to be up to $30,000 for one person, with designers paying close to $275,000 for a full table. Despite this cost heavy event, Lewis Hamilton said that it is “important to be able to offer more opportunities for underrepresented people” and hopes this will lead to “more inclusion in the fashion industry.” Being the first and only black man in the Formula One series, Hamilton has advocated for an increase in diversity in and out of the motorsport world. Fashion has allowed him to give exposure to black creatives, and this display at the MET Gala was just the beginning.
Sources:
Olivia Guerra, F&B Diaries Writing Staff
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