When the Met Gala returns to the steps of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on the first Monday of May 2022, so will one of our most beloved and revered stars. On Thursday, it was announced that Regina King will be joining Lin-Manuel Miranda, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds as co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala, the star-studded annual fundraiser for The Costume Institute also housed within The Met. Artistic Director of Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue Anna Wintour, acclaimed designer and Chairman of the Board of the Council of Fashion Designers of America Tom Ford, and head of Instagram Adam Mosseri will return to their roles as the event’s honorary co-chairs.
Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
This May’s gala will continue The Costume Institute’s 2021-22 theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” the first half of which debuted last September after a 16-month absence imposed by the global pandemic. While many die-hard Met Gala lovers are still hoping for a revival of the canceled 2020 theme, “About Time,” as previously reported by theGrio, the second installment of “In America” will also prominently feature an array of Black creators, including living fashion legend Stephen Burrows as well as late designers Ann Lowe and Fannie Criss Payne. Janicza Bravo and Julie Dash are among the filmmakers (including Martin Scorsese) who will be featured in a series of “cinematic vignettes,” as this year’s exhibit also delves into fashion in American film.
King’s work will also be included in that part of this year’s presentation, making her appearance as a co-chair for the event all the more fitting. The honor will not be King’s first time at The Met Gala; the Oscar and Emmy-winning actress-director also made stunning appearances in 2019 and 2021, wearing an Oscar de la Renta gown inspired by unsung Black actress Nina Mae McKinney at the former. (Michael Kors dressed the actress in custom, menswear-inspired sparkling pinstripes for 2021).
No doubt King’s longtime stylists Wayman + Micah (who also dress Tessa Thompson, Jodie Turner-Smith and Saweetie, among others) also have a showstopper planned for her co-chairing honor this year. That said, this spring’s gala may also mark her first public appearance since the death of her son, Ian Alexander Jr., in January. Since the tragedy, King has understandably taken time to herself; no doubt she will be welcomed back with open and supportive arms by attendees of this year’s Met Gala, as well as her countless fans.
Maiysha Kai is Lifestyle Editor of theGrio, covering all things Black and beautiful. Her work is informed by two decades’ experience in fashion and entertainment, a love of great books and aesthetics, and the indomitable brilliance of Black culture. She is also a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and editor of the YA anthology Body (Words of Change series).
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