The exhibition itself hinges on the assertion that the enchantments of Catholicism (stained glass, rosary beads, holy water) have inspired designers who grew up in the religious tradition. She emphasized what the world should already know: that you need not be white, Catholic, or a virgin to deserve reverence (though in America, you might need to be a celebrity). (Whether this look inspires highly structured, ornate headwear for future collections remains to be seen.)Īs Rihanna co-opted a symbol of Catholic power, she simultaneously undermined the more detrimental tropes of the belief system and highlighted its potential for creative and aesthetic advancement. Thanks to High Priestess Robyn Rihanna Fenty, it’s now as good a time as any to investigate the mitre. Galliano also created Rihanna’s look-a silver mini-dress, matching robe, and mitre-though, this time, for Maison Martin Margiela, where he’s worked since 2014. The lavishly embroidered and jeweled robes matched the garments’ accompanying “mitre,” a kind of headdress for bishops (perhaps most popularly depicted in their chess piece representations). Glimpsing the designer outfits (and even the ecclesiastical garb) on view throughout the Met’s Byzantine and medieval galleries Anna Wintour Costume Center (its largest exhibition to date) Robert Lehman Wing and the Cloisters, a visitor was wont to covet at least a few pieces.Īt the Met Gala later that evening, Rihanna’s outfit riffed on one of the exhibition’s most fabulous get-ups: the House of Dior’s Evening Ensemble from autumn/winter 2000–01, designed by John Galliano. In fact, the concept of cultural appropriation as a whole is deeply misguided because it ignores the reality that ultimately, every culture, tradition, or religion borrows slightly from those that surround it.Monday’s “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” preview at the Metropolitan Museum of Art sufficiently inspired at least one deadly sin: greed. Neither Daum's nor Rihanna's wardrobe choices strike me as worthy of condemnation. The lack of controversy stands in direct contrast to barrage of criticism that befell 18-year-old Keziah Daum after she dared to wear a traditional Chinese dress to her high-school prom. And yet there has been no coordinated attack on the event or its attendees. But it's worth considering that her decolletage and miniskirt, in combination with the papal hat, could easily be seen as offensive by religious Catholics. Rihanna looked beautiful, and there was nothing meaningfully wrong with what she chose to wear. In truth, there were aspects of the gala with which the church might have reasonably found fault. And that's why we're into things such as art, poetry, music, liturgy, and, yes, even fashion, to thank God for the gift of beauty." That's why we love to serve the poor and to do good. That's why we have great schools and universities, to each the truth. It's because the church and the Catholic imagination are all about three things: truth, goodness, and beauty. "You may be asking, 'What's the church doing here? Why is the church part of all this?' You may be asking, 'What's the Cardinal Archbishop of New York?' I asked that when I was first invited a couple of months ago.
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