The Met Gala red carpet is a place for extravagance and daring fashion that more often than not gets people talking.

Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala dress from 2021 inspired plenty of memes. Given how unexpected her Balenciaga bodysuit was, it’s hardly a surprise that Twitter had a field day with endless Harry Potter and Sims parallels.

As someone who has proved time and time again that she understands how to make a memorable red carpet entrance, it’s quite probable that Kim meant for her controversial outfit to generate commotion.

The 40-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star donned a full Balenciaga ensemble with a strong futuristic vibe that was developed by the fashion house’s creative director Demna Gvasalia and included a bodysuit with a black curve T-shirt underneath a T-shirt dress.

Social media fans raced to Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to ask how her all-black ensemble fit into the event’s subject of “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” or the celebration of American independence.

“’so the theme is american lexicon’ kim kardashian : ‘cool so come dressed as a dementor?’ #MetGala”

“’In America’ was the theme of the met gala. Am I the only one who didn’t get what Kim Kardashian was saying with that dress/outfit?”

“Would really like to know @KimKardashian and teams reference points for this look… doesn’t exactly scream ‘American Independence’ (the theme this year) #MetGala”

Kardashian West’s outfit was apparently inspired by her estranged husband Kanye West, who reportedly skipped the event but supposedly pushed her to be more adventurous with her clothing.

The reality star has responded to the backlash over her Balenciaga Met Gala ensemble.

As she tweeted a photo of herself on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts, Kim said her creation couldn’t have made her “more American.”

“What’s more American than a T-shirt head to toe?” she asked her fans and critics.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian)

“When Muslim women choose to wear skin-covering abayas and burkas, they’re considered stifling and oppressive — the furthest thing from high fashion and glamorous,” she wrote. “Burkas can provide wearers with anonymity, which is deemed a ‘threat to security’ in many areas of the Western world.”

One Muslim writer, Hafsa Lodi, who specialises in modest fashion, voiced how she found Kardashian’s look “bizarre” and “distasteful”, as she was “effectively wearing a burka”.

“When Muslim women choose to wear skin-covering abayas and burkas, they’re considered stifling and oppressive — the furthest thing from high fashion and glamorous,” she wrote. “Burkas can provide wearers with anonymity, which is deemed a ‘threat to security’ in many areas of the Western world.”

Others, however, argued that Kim’s look was actually very relevant:

“Everyone knew it was Kim. Its so perfectly her. It’s genius. The matt black is the perfect contrast to the glam and flash bulbs of the night. Honestly you could write an cultural art history essay on this look..”

“Kim Kardashian in Balenciaga. So fitting with the theme which was ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’. Kim herself is the epitome of American culture; famous for being famous. She didn’t have to wear ‘anything’ because she is recognisable no matter what. Very clever #MetGala”

“idc what anyone says; kim kardashian was the only one who really understood this years met gala theme of American Independence!!”

“Actually the more I think about it the more Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala look seems in line with the theme.”

There have been a slew of memes made on the disparity between her clothing and that of her more traditionally dressed half-sister, Kendall.

you haven’t unlocked this character yet #MetGala #KimKardashian pic.twitter.com/3MblocNrBW

— elly 🦋 | she/her (@ellymobley) September 14, 2021

Another user chastised guests for playing it safe on the red carpet when there was a potential to be more political.

“I do find this somewhat political though and that’s what we look for at the Met Gala,” they said. “Kardashian is known for her beauty and known for her looks so I think to strip that away and just give us a look without that image can be political – but that’s me reaching.”

Kim has a history of wearing outlandish Met Gala outfits — remember the iconic Givenchy “couch dress”? – Her most recent outfit, though, was by far her most adventurous.