The dress code for Monday’s Met Gala, one of the biggest events in the fashion calendar, was “Sunday best”, with a mind to paying homage to Catholicism and papal robes of yore. And, as ever, celebrities played fast and loose with the theme. One celebrity, however, sidestepped it altogether, eschewing chasubles and ermine in favour of scandal.
Scarlett Johansson wore a blood-red gown, custom-made by Marchesa, the label co-owned by the estranged wife of Harvey Weinstein, Georgina Chapman, becoming the biggest name to wear the brand on a red carpet since the sexual-harassment scandal broke.
Formerly a red-carpet staple, favoured by Jennifer Lopez, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway, Marchesa’s stock plummeted after the scandal broke. Its initial demise was viewed as collateral, but that changed following allegations that Weinstein had pressured actresses in his films to wear his wife’s dresses to premieres. But in recent months it has begun its own rehabilitation process. The company lost a jewellery deal but stayed stocked in Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
As a vocal supporter of both the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements, Johansson’s decision to wear the label appears to be rooted in solidarity: “I wore Marchesa because their clothes make women feel confident and beautiful, and it is my pleasure to support a brand created by two incredibly talented and important female designers,” said Johansson in a statement. Marchesa said it was “truly honoured”.
Still in fairness, Johansson was not the only celebrity to overlook a label’s difficult history. Sarah Jessica Parker disregarded previous controversial comments on IVF, adoptions and gay families by one half of Dolce & Gabbana to wear a ritzy number by the Italian designers. Rihanna donned full papal regalia (a white, beaded corseted minidress under a full skirt, accessorised with a beaded bishop’s hat and a large crucifix necklace) by none other than recently rehabilitated John Galliano, who was sacked from Dior for an antisemitic rant in 2011. Rihanna’s defence? “It would be a sin not to wear it.”
Meanwhile, back at the Met Gala, Madonna – who the Vatican boycotted after she dedicated Papa Don’t Preach to then Pope John Paul in 1987, and faced calls from the church for her ex-communication when she staged a mock crucifixion during her 2006 Confessions tour – was the guest performer on the night. Is a post-scandal comeback possible in fashion? Well, it all depends who you’re asking.
