theGrio Style Guide: Met Gala moments we’re still talking about and Ayesha Curry collabs with Pottery Barn

In this week’s style guide, Brandon Blackwood announces swim, Teyana Taylor hopped up the Met Gala steps, Tabitha Brown’s final Target collection, and more.

The First Monday in May may have been almost a week ago, but there are quite a few Met Gala moments we’re still talking about. 

For this year’s theme, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” many of the celebrities walked the red carpet in their best renditions of classic Chanel eras. The carpet was a succession of pearls, black lace, sultry, slinky silhouettes, and tweed. And due to the extreme lengths wearing couture can require, another theme of the evening seemed to be “grin and bear it.”

For example, Teyana Taylor arrived on the red carpet dressed in a daring double-breasted skirt suit by Thom Browne inspired by Chanel’s iconic tweed suits. The look was modern, sculptural — and apparently lacking in functionality. While Taylor could saunter down the red carpet, she could not walk up the steps leading into the Metropolitan Museum, as her skirt, which fit her like a glove, was tailored in an unforgiving way, forcing her to hop her way up. Once up top, it was revealed that Taylor brought Chik-fil-A to the catered dinner, reportedly drawing laughs from friends Pusha T and Usher.

Seasoned Met Gala attendee Cardi B arrived on the red carpet and did not disappoint, wearing some light Lagerfeld cosplay. The rapper wore a gown inspired by Lagerfeld’s well-known uniform of black suits over white shirts, and even sported silver hair like the late designer. When discussing how she wows year after year with People magazine, Cardi B admitted she actually experiences a lot of anxiety when coming up with looks.

“Maybe because my looks are so spectacular that people just expect every year to be more amazing than the last, and it’s so hard because imagine competing with myself,” she said. “That is sickening.”

Another star who suffered for his look was Diddy, who took the opportunity to debut Sean John Couture. As previously reported by theGrio, Diddy wore an elaborate and reportedly heavy oversized taffeta cape adorned with giant black blossoms over a black suit, a collaboration with veteran stylist and designer June Ambrose that left him rather sweaty. 

Not all of the evening’s biggest moments happened on the red carpet. We’d be remiss if we didn’t give a shout-out to Lizzo, who not only attended the gala in a classic Chanel silhouette but seemed to poke at Lagerfeld’s well-documented legacy of fatphobia as she later gleefully dined on french fries in a fast food restaurant while still wearing the gown. Lizzo, we salute you. 

However, not all Met Gala viewers enjoyed what they saw — or didn’t see. In the days since, actress and model Leyna Bloom, who attended the Met Gala in 2021, has called out the gala and its organizers for this year’s lack of trans people of color on the carpet. Laverne Cox, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, and Michaela Jae Rodriguez have also had invites in recent years.

“These are spaces that hold so much power in terms of representation,” she said, adding, “We have been here and we deserve to be seen in these spaces to showcase our self-expression, imagination, and freedom.”

While the Met Gala still occupies much of the conversation, a few more things happened in Black style this week. Below, we explore Ayesha Curry’s debut home collaboration with Pottery Barn, cast our eyes on Brandon Blackwood’s swim launch, discuss Adidas’ latest Ye-related legal troubles, and more.

Adidas facing lawsuit over Yeezy collaboration

The Adidas and Ye (a.k.a Kanye West) saga continues. This week, investors sued the athleisure brand for maintaining its relationship with the rapper despite knowing the eminent risk. Although the company cut ties with Ye in October 2022 following antisemitic comments, the lawsuit claims Adidas executives discussed the risks of the collaboration back in 2018, after Ye reportedly made antisemitic comments to company staff, as reported by Business of Fashion. According to the complaint, Adidas alluded to the risk “rather than stating that the company had actually considered ending the partnership as a result of West’s personal behavior.” 

Since severing ties with the rapper, the company is reportedly considering selling the last of the Yeezy products valued at $1.3 billion, with plans to donate the profits to charity. 

Brandon Blackwood announces swimwear collection

Brandon Blackwood’s brand is evolving beyond bags. Now featuring shoes, sunglasses, and striking outerwear, the label plans to expand into the swimwear market this month, launching its inaugural swim collection on May 12.  

“We’ve been really just trying to step outside the box so that our customers could all feel special while owning something. Whether it be sunglasses now, coats, bags, or shoes. Now we have swim coming out,” Blackwood told Harper’s Bazaar. “We kind of turned [swimwear] into outfits. Again, no one’s gonna expect us really to do swim, but we see where our customers are wearing our other products, and it just makes complete sense.”

Although not available to purchase yet, shoppers can get a sneak peek at the collection on the Brandon Blackwood website and Instagram. 

Tabitha Brown’s fourth and final Target collection

Everyone’s favorite auntie has announced her fourth and final Tabitha Brown for Target collection. Over the last year, the award-winning actress, influencer, and bestselling author has worked in collaboration with Target to “deliver positive well-being and joy” in a series of limited-edition collections showcasing Brown’s vibrant style. Ranging from apparel to home decor to kitchenware, the actress’ fourth and final collection includes an assortment of backyard entertaining essentials, furniture, games, and more, just in time for summer cookout season. The collection will be available starting May 14 in stores and online at Target.com. In the meantime, shoppers can preview the collection online and save them to their wishlists. 

FOMO: Designer Christopher John Rogers debuts his ‘Resort 2024’ Collection and throws a star-studded afterparty

We now know what quite a few of our faves were up to in the days before the Met Gala. 

According to a release to theGrio on Saturday, April 29, fashion designer Christopher John Rogers partnered with Diageo to his latest collection, “Resort 2024 Collection 012” — which features a palette of black, white, and vibrant pops of primary colors — and celebrated with an afterparty that brought out a slew of famous faces, including Janelle Monáe, Jeremy Pope, Teyana Taylor, Quinta Brunson, and more. 

Rogers said maintaining authenticity throughout his design process is “paramount” for him.  

He added, “Making an impact through communicating nuanced stories via my work and choosing to honor my multiplicities as a designer and creative is the most exciting thing to me right now. I’m thrilled to collaborate with Diageo and its brands as they toast to multi-hyphenated creators who are driving change and breaking barriers through fashion and beyond.” 

Sweet July by Ayesha Curry x Pottery Barn drops

Do you love the “neutral” and “earthy” home aesthetic — or is your outdoor living space in need of a revamp? The Sweet July by Ayesha Curry x Pottery Barn collab, which is available now, may be right up your alley. 

The new collection, which includes kitchen accessories, dinnerware, outdoor lounge decor, bedding, and bath items, also boasts a neutral palette of earthy grey, beige, and terracotta. In a release, Curry said summer celebrations inspired the line. 

 “I was inspired by neutral palettes, playing with clean lines and textures that can be mixed and matched in the spaces that mean most to you and your loved ones,” she said. 

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