That Wasn’t Rosa Parks on Lisa’s Met Fit, Artist Behind Look Says

I never thought I’d write this, but: No, that wasn’t Rosa Parks on K-pop singer Lisa’s Met Gala outfit, the artist behind the design says.

Lisa, of K-pop group Blackpink, faced a wave of backlash on social media, as people initially thought it was the iconic civil rights activist sewn onto Lisa’s underwear. The all black and lace assemble was custom Louis Vuitton by Pharrell, but had deceptions of artwork from American artist Henry Taylor in the bottom area.

A rep for the artist told Vulture in a statement that the woman seen is actually a neighbor of Taylor’s.

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

“The faces seen on this look, as well as on previous LV garments featuring Taylor’s artwork, are all drawn from his personal life — family members, friends, and neighbors,” the statement said. “These figures come directly from Henry’s existing artworks, which he provided to LVMH for Pharrell’s debut collection with Louis Vuitton in 2023. None of the individuals depicted in any of the garments are Rosa Parks or other well-known figures from Black cultural history. They are all people from Henry’s own life.”

The 2025 Met Gala. Showcasing #LouisVuitton’s savoir-faire, House Ambassador #Lisa attended the #MetGala wearing a custom tailleur by @Pharrell – melding emblematic dandy tailoring with corsetry and delicate lace, depicting artwork by artist Henry Taylor.
#PharrellWilliams pic.twitter.com/Kdiibb0xrm
— Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) May 7, 2025

The misinformation around Lisa’s outfit caused a flurry of talk online, as the artist and her former band were embroiled in controversy around a video in which they used a racial slur repeatedly. They have yet to address the video.

Taylor recently painted Pharrell for the cover of Vogue and in his debut collection for LV, Pharrell had mini-Taylors embroidered into pieces.

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