Where Are All the TikTok Influencers at the Met Gala?
Not on the red carpet.
If you were expecting to see Addison Rae, Charli D’Amelio, or Khaby Lame at the TikTok-sponsored Met Gala, think again. Even though the social-media juggernaut signed on as the principal sponsor of the Costume Institute benefit this year, its creators were largely missing from the red carpet.
Met Gala host Anna Wintour closely oversees the guest list each year, ensuring the party amasses the most compelling celebrities it can. When faced with the prospect of inviting any of TikTok’s quippy comedians, personal chefs, or get-ready-with-me girls, she may have remembered the backlash her party faced in 2019, 2021, and 2022, years when a handful of influencers like Chiara Ferragni and Avani Gregg landed invites. In 2021, Derek Blasberg (then at YouTube) bought a table and invited Rae, NikkieTutorials (Nikkie de Jager), and Jackie Aina among others. “Met Gala has ‘gone from super prestigious to being full of influencers,’” declared the New York Post, echoing a larger sentiment online.
But this year, few influencers from TikTok or elsewhere made it inside fashion’s most exclusive party. One who did was Wisdom Kaye, who arrived in a bright red Robert Wun cape and top hat. Another was Emma Chamberlain, in custom Jean Paul Gaultier. Meanwhile, Reece Feldman (@guywithamoviecamera) and Estefania Pessoa, a.k.a. Tefi (@hellotefi), were among the TikTok creators covering the event from the sidelines. TikTok also livestreamed the red carpet from Vogue’s account.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, one of the evening’s honorary chairs, attended with his wife, Vivian Kao. Last month, he vowed to fight a new TikTok ban that aims to force the company’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app in the next nine months or face a ban.
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