Did The 2015 Met Gala Mark The End of Orientalism?

Beyonce at the 2015 Met Gala in Givenchy
Photo: Andres Otero/WENN

For many in the world of fashion (us included), this past Monday marked an important night for the industry. Not only was it the debut of the annual Met Gala, but the anticipated event also kicked off the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s themed Costume Institute exhibit, China: Through the Looking Glass.

And while many of the dresses on display were assigned to represent the art of Orientalism, there’s a major argument over whether the looks were simply for China, or actually about it.

According to Business of Fashion, Andrew Bolton, curator of The Costume Institute, recently said to Jing Daily, “a lot of designers are not inspired by the real China.” He even went further to explain that the actual show was about “a fantasy of China, one that is shared between the East and the West.”

In our eyes, it’s hard to see how this actually marks the end of Orientalism, rather than the continuation. After all, though many Chinese designers weren’t present, most of the Western names on display took inspiration from the culture’s artwork or films by Chinese directors.

We have to admit that through the eyes of many, the public perception of the themed exhibit will always have a large portion to do with big name red carpet appearances – mostly from European designers.

So while the debate will always have its opposing sides, we decided to showcase some of our favorite European designers included in this year’s annual exhibit.

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