NEW YORK (AP) — “Well, it took a minute,” said Spike Lee, surveying the glittering Met Gala crowd during cocktail hour through bright orange glasses that matched his New York Knicks cap. Lee was referring to the fact that for the very first time, the Met Gala was making a point of celebrating Black style and Black designers — something he felt was an overdue milestone, but a very welcome one. “Long overdue,” Lee repeated.
While a starry group of co-chairs greeted guests, Spike Lee, Venus Williams, Zoe Saldaña and Rihanna discussed the significance of dandyism and the importance of the event.
Stars gathered Monday for a historic Met Gala that celebrated Black style and emerging designers. The gathering in rainy Manhattan was the first Met Gala to focus exclusively on Black designers and the first in more than 20 years to have a menswear theme. The gathering of stars from the worlds of fashion, entertainment, sports and business raised a record $31 million for the Met’s Costume Institute.