A case of misidentification created a controversy that’s bizarre even by Met Gala standards. A Louis Vuitton look donned by Thai K-pop star Lisa Manobal, whose global profile reached new heights following her role in The White Lotus Season 3, came under intense scrutiny when internet commenters thought they spotted Rosa Parks’ visage collaged onto the crotch of her bodysuit.
According to a representative for artist Henry Taylor, who collaborated on the design with LV creative director Pharrell Williams, those internet commenters are wrong.
“The figure featured in Lisa’s Louis Vuitton look is not Rosa Parks, but one of Henry’s neighbors,” the rep said in a statement to Vulture. “The faces seen on this look, as well as on previous LV garments featuring Taylor’s artwork, are all drawn from his personal life—family members, friends, and neighbors. These figures come directly from Henry’s existing artworks, which he provided to LVMH for Pharrell’s debut collection with Louis Vuitton in 2023. None of the individuals depicted in any of the garments are Rosa Parks or other well-known figures from Black cultural history. They are all people from Henry’s own life.”
The mistaken ID is somewhat forgivable, given that it would also have fit the Met Gala’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” theme celebrating Black dandyism. Among the night’s many strikingly celebrity outfits included musician-turned-billionaire lingerie mogul Rihanna’s black floor-length skirt and cropped black jacket by Marc Jacobs, former Maxim cover star Teyana Taylor’s pinstripe suit and “Harlem rose”-embroidered cape by Black Panther costume designer Ruth. E Carter, actress Zendaya’s Williams-designed three-piece white suit, and pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s pantless Louis Vuitton bodysuit. Check them out below:
