On the first Monday in May, Hollywood and fashion elite descended on the Metropolitan Museum in New York for the opening of their annual Costume Institute Gala. This year the ball was themed, like the exhibition it was feting, ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’. This meant Kim Kardashian poured into a Versace dress with a crucifix affixed to her hip, Bella Hadid came as a Chrome Hearts nun and Rihanna wore a Maison Margiela Papal mitre. Yet, Scarlett Johansson translated the dress code quite, quite differently. The Lost in Translation actress wore a maroon ombre dress with petal appliqué. But, that wasn’t the weirdest part about her choice of ensemble.
The dress in question that this 33-year-old actress wore was designed by the estranged wife of Harvey Weinstein. While the label Marchesa, which is run by Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, has a longstanding relationship with the red carpet community it’s been noticeably absent since the Weinstein scandal erupted. Though used to high visibility it chose to forgo it’s New York Fashion Week show in February after the news of Chapman’s husband’s digressions broke.
Marchesa announced: ‘We are truly honoured that Scarlett chose to wear Marchesa for the Met Gala. She is an amazingly talented actor who has incredible style and presence. It was wonderful to work so closely with her in creating this custom look.’
Likewise in a statement to E! News Johansson explained her choice of dress but failed to mention Weinstein on the brand’s relationship with the disgraced mogul. She said: ‘I wore Marchesa because their clothes make women feel confident and beautiful and it is my pleasure to support a brand created by two incredibly talented and important female designers.’ What's most surprising is that Johannson isn't even a long-running customer of the label as she hasn't worn a dress by the brand since the early 2000s.