What do you wear to one of New York’s most exclusive social events? If you’re Lena Waithe, the choice is clear: you wear a rainbow cape.
Attending the 2018 Met Gala, the 33-year-old screenwriter and producer donned a floor-length cape, sewn onto her blazer—a bold fashion statement—and a political one. The ensemble was in conversation with this year’s theme, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.
“The theme to me is…be yourself,” Waithe told a reporter. “It’s about being ‘You were made in God’s image.'”
Waithe worked closely with Carolina Herrera’s Creative Director Wes Gordon to create a look that reflected her personality. The flag even included black and brown stripes.
We already knew that Waithe is a superhero: after becoming the first black woman to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, she’s shown the world that she’s an unstoppable creative force and has brought unprecedented visibility to queer women of color. But this cape cements her superhero status.