K-pop icon Lisa of Blackpink became the subject of controversy during the Met Gala last night, May 5, after netizens incorrectly claimed that she wore an outfit displaying an image of Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks across the crotch. There were indeed dozens of faces embroidered across her translucent black-lace jacket and strapless bodysuit from Louis Vuitton (LV) — but these likenesses were all created by contemporary artist Henry Taylor, and Rosa Parks was not among them.
Though Lisa has yet to speak out on the matter after countless news reports and viral social media posts, Hyperallergic confirmed that the lacy ensemble bore the faces of people close to Taylor — friends, family members, acquaintances — as is also typical of the artists’s signature paintings, which foreground Black individuals in intimate and community settings. The bespectacled portrait on Lisa’s body suit that many mistook for Parks is actually of the artist’s neighbor.
Taylor had collaborated with Met Gala Co-Chair Pharrell Williams in 2023 for the latter’s debut collection upon his appointment as LV’s creative director for menswear. The artist provided the fashion house with samples of his existing portraiture, which in turn converted them into micro-embroidered embellishments that appeared on some of Pharrell’s collection looks. Taylor also painted Pharrell’s portrait for the cover of Vogue’s May issue.
Taylor also attended last night’s Met Gala, which was themed “Tailored For You” to celebrate the Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibition. He was styled by Pharrell, and wore a white button-down featuring his own embroidered portraits.
Pharrell also styled Lisa for the gala, along with rising popstar Sabrina Carpenter, Grammy-winning breakout rapper Doechii, and actor Jeremy Allen White. Lisa’s custom look deployed the same portraits included in Pharrell’s debut collection, except they were presented as black outlines rather than colorful embroidery.
This controversy comes months after alleged videos of Lisa and other members of Blackpink reciting the N-word while singing along to several songs during their training days were leaked and shared across social media, adding fuel to the recent fire. The group has not issued an official statement about the controversy.