(CNN) Actress and body positivity advocate Jameela Jamil slammed the Met Gala for celebrating Karl Lagerfeld, the influential fashion designer who died in 2019.
Jamil, best known for starring in NBC’s The Good Place, wrote on Instagram that “Hollywood and fashion said the quiet part out loud when so many famous feminists chose to celebrate at the highest level, a man who was publicly cruel to obese women, obese women, immigrants, and sexual assault survivors.” .
The theme of the gala this year coincided with an exhibition at the Metropolitan Institute of Art for the costume, titled “Karl Lagerfeld: The Beauty Line,” a Metropolis spokesperson told CNN was in line with the museum’s “mission to explore art and creativity from ancient times through today, examining moments of significance and influence so that we can gain a deeper understanding of art and history, inviting dialogue and further reflection.
“This year’s Fashion Institute exhibition does just that, by presenting the work of a one-of-a-kind designer – Karl Lagerfeld – whose innovation and unique methodology of work have undoubtedly made seismic contributions to the world of fashion and art.”
CNN has also reached out to Vogue, which is organizing the ceremony, for comment.
Celebrities, the fashion elite and New York high society walked the iconic red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, lavishly dressed in homage to Lagerfeld, best known for turning Chanel into one of the world’s most valuable fashion houses during his stay. time as its creative director.
But for all his influence as a designer, he’s also been a controversial figure, making a number of derogatory statements endorsing narrow standards of beauty or criticizing the #MeToo movement.
He also caused outrage in 2017 when he criticized then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel for offering asylum to people fleeing conflict.
“This is not about cancellation culture,” Jamila added in a comment, explaining her post. “It’s not even about Karl. It’s about showing how selective cancel culture can be in liberal politics, in the most blatant way yet.”
She added that “slippery tactics and double standards like this” contribute to the erosion of trust towards liberals.
Jamil, whose positive Instagram account “I Weigh” has more than a million followers, previously criticized the Met Gala in October, calling the theme “disappointing double standards” in the industry and noting that Lagerfeld’s comments were recent.