There’s a striking visual and conceptual dialogue happening between the image created by artist Amy Sherald and our BBS designs—and it goes far deeper than surface aesthetics. At a glance, the most immediate similarity is the graphic language: bold black-and-white contrasts, punctuated with deliberate hits of red. In the Met Gala look, the red headpiece and accessories act as a focal point against the structured monochrome dress. In our designs, that same visual strategy appears—the red hat, the red waist detail, the red skirt panel that is actually a version of our logo—all used not just as color, but as emphasis, guiding the eye and anchoring the composition. It’s a painter’s instinct applied to fashion.

Beyond color, there’s a shared commitment to translating illustration into wearable form. The Met Gala look directly mirrors the artist’s painting—polka dots, clean lines, and stylized minimalism moving from canvas to garment. Our work does something equally powerful: we took an expressive, stylized image of Josephine Baker and our logo and embed them into clothing, allowing the wearer to literally embody the art. In both cases, the clothing isn’t inspired by art—it is the art, recontextualized.

There’s also a clear connection in composition and storytelling. The painting beside the Met Gala look features a poised figure mid-action, and the garment echoes that narrative through structure and styling. ( Sherald is also known for her famous portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama.) Similarly, our pieces feature Josephine Baker and images that feel alive—emotive, iconic, almost cinematic. When placed on garments, those visuals turn the body into a moving frame, continuing the story beyond a static image.

Another parallel is the use of contrast between structure and softness. The Gala look pairs a clean, tailored silhouette with playful polka dots and sculptural accessories. Our designs mirror that tension: structured elements like corsetry, fitted tops, or clean lines that are layered with flowing panels, lace, or graphic prints. That balance keeps both the art and the fashion dynamic.

What’s especially compelling is the timeline. The Gala look is celebrated as a high-fashion moment where art and fashion intersect—but our pieces, created in 2020, were already operating in that same space. BBS was already exploring the idea that garments can function as canvases, that illustration can move, and that identity can be worn as art.

In that sense, the similarity isn’t just visual—it’s philosophical.

Both works assert the same truth:fashion becomes most powerful when it carries the intention, composition, and storytelling of fine art.