I grew up wearing basketball shorts, free t-shirts and the rest of my brother’s hand-me-downs. Internally I was a girly-girl who loved pink, flowers and ballet, but my dad was never into fashion and limited this self-expression — he complained every time he had to dress up, grimaced whenever my mom came home with a new handbag and frowned when my aunts bought me new clothing. My dad thought it was wasteful to buy new clothes and told me to be resourceful. He had a good point — we saved money, fabric and landfill space because I wore my brother’s clothes. The consequence, however, was that I grew up believing that fashion was frivolous and unimportant; I was better than others for not caring because, well, that’s what my dad told me. And, to be honest, I held onto these beliefs until 2024’s Met Gala.
Last year’s theme, “The Garden of Time,” saw models and actors adorned in colorful blooms, bright yellows and vines. This is by far my favorite Met Gala theme ever — I simply love flowers. Floral vines hang in my room, visiting a botanical garden is one of my dream first dates and I want a bouquet-arranging activity at my birthday party every year. Seeing both men and women sporting flowers was eye-opening, and it was in this new understanding of what men and women can both wear that I realized my dad was completely wrong.
The men at the Met Gala — like Leon Bridges with his floral brooches and Jon Batiste with his floral halterneck — were jaw-dropping. They pushed the boundaries of what I perceived as masculine and feminine looks, inspiring others to wear what they want instead of what they feel they must. They certainly inspired me. I was in awe watching Zendaya, Ayo Edebiri and Bad Bunny walk with confidence and swagger. I loved the ombre colors of flowers on Edebiri’s dress and remember thinking, how cool would that look on me? Zendaya wore dark green and blue that felt like mystery in dress form, and I felt like a little girl dreaming of a princess’s life in a fantasy world. Bad Bunny was adorned with unique, diamond-shaped sunglasses and a hat while holding a fabric bouquet. I enjoyed admiring the creativity and new looks that pushed the boundaries of conventional beauty and fashion. I found it fascinating how an artist could encompass these feelings in an article of clothing.
This began my understanding of what fashion can really mean in society — through the clothes I wear, the makeup I try and the jewelry I model, I am communicating to others how I want them to perceive me; I’m communicating who I am and who I want to become. In middle school, I wore grey and black every day because I wasn’t confident in myself. I was in my all-too-common stage of just wanting to blend in. You’d never catch me sporting neon blue cargo pants, but here I am today entering my fun and confident phase. Confidence is unnatural to me, so I exercise it by wearing those pants that make me stand out (there’s no missing neon), and I enjoy the feeling of being pushed outside my comfort zone through my clothing.
Style, whether flashy or subtle, is who you are internally, shown externally. As someone who was never into fashion before, “The Garden of Time” Met Gala was monumental because it instilled in me that I, too, can walk confidently without worrying what other people think of me. It proved that clothes are not only a form of self-expression but also of communication. I no longer adopt my dad’s belief that clothing and fashion are frivolous. Rather, I see these things as opportunities to let your personality flourish and continue to grow in beautiful, unexpected ways.
Daily Arts Writer Natalie Mark can be reached at natmark@umich.edu.
