The reference was easy and two women fell for it

Zendaya and Anna Sawai twinning at this year’s Met Gala. Photos: Getty Images

We first spotted Zendaya. Who she was referencing was terribly clear. Unless you are very, very young and think Gucci does not go back further than Alessandro Michele, you may have drawn a blank looking at Zendaya on the red carpet of this year’s Met Gala. We were about to dismiss her stylist Law Roach’s input as lazy, when Japanese actress Anna Sawai appeared in an identical suit, complete with a white shirt and a white tie and a floppy wide-brim hat. One difference was Zendaya’s extra vest. And if we must be more accurate, her flared pants, compared to Ms Sawai’s more straight-legged pair. Or pendantic, her patch pockets as opposed to Ms Sawai’s jetted (or besom) pockets. Still, what is the statistical probability of two women dressed identically in the same event space?

Both suits without doubt pointed to one fashion star in the ’70s: Bianca Jagger, then married to Mick Jagger. Zendaya chose Louis Vuitton (unsurprising, since she is the brand’s ambassador), but she let Pharrel Williams design the suit, not Nicolas Ghesquière. That may have been to her disadvantage since Mr Williams is not known for his flair in introducing a twist to familiar looks. Anna Sawai picked Dior. She too was disadvantaged by designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, famous for her straight-on approach to empowered feminity. Neither designer attempted to make the reference less obvious. The similarity in the outfits is hard to explain when you consider that both designers are effectively colleagues. Could they not have checked with each other to ensure no duplication since the source of their inspiration is identical and really easy to come by?

The similarity in the outfits is hard to explain when you consider that both designers are effectively colleagues. Could they not have checked with each other to ensure no duplication since the source of their inspiration is identical and really easy to come by?

Bianca Jagger, in the ‘70s, was known for her white suits, usually by Yves Saint Laurent or occasionally by Halston, such as the one with the wide peaked lapels that she wore to the Kenneth Jay Lane party in New York City in 1974. Throughout the years, Ms Jagger’s style was very much imitated, especially when there is desire to dress in the distinct fashions of the ’70s. Today, her love of suits holds significant cultural importance. She broke gender norms and, in doing so, is often seen as a symbol of female empowerment. All these are now not groundbreaking in today’s fashion landscape, where gender fluidity and diverse expressions of power dressing are more commonplace.

What Bianca Jagger achieved through her fashion is now, for many women, although inspirational, no longer groundbreaking. Even if the Met Gala is known for the attendees pushing creative boundaries, it was not evident in Zendaya’s and Anna Sawai’s sartorial choices. Their copying of Ms Jagger’s style of suit and colour choice only communicated unthinking imitation. Given the women’s influential platform, it could have been an opportunity to forge truly individual statements, especially at an event celebrating a distinct cultural aesthetic. Homage or something else, only the two women knew.