In Defense of Hudson Williams’ ‘Messy’ Met Gala Makeup
Hudson Williams’ Met Gala makeup talk is precisely what makes it so relevant.
On May 4, the actor’s go-to hair and makeup artist, Aika Flores, broke out of her minimalist aesthetic for this year’s “Fashion Is Art” dress code, creating asymmetrical makeup inspired by one of Williams’ favorite films, Black Swan. “It traces the evolution of the white swan, losing its softness and emerging sharper, more elusive and completely reborn,” Flores told beauty journalist Kristina Rodulfo of the look. “Look closely at the makeup, and it reveals a progression from purity to power at the precise moment when the white swan gives way and the black swan takes flight.”
Some critics who looked closely simply saw a “mess,” saying the blurred asymmetry of the look didn’t seem “intentional,” while others insisted they simply didn’t get it. Across TikTok, threads and X.com, makeup artists of varying opinions clamored to share how they would have achieved the look, with some using their own techniques and personal touches to recreate or reimagine the beauty moment.
Days after the intense debate that erupted on social media, the Emmy winner Euphoria makeup artist Donni Davy applauded the look on Instagram. “I love this look,” Davy wrote. “It’s expressive, empowering, playful, has a story, and goes against what pop culture tends to value in makeup (consistency, technical precision). When I see this look, I don’t wish it was more seamless or sharper. I love chaos and so I hope Aika Flores does a series of looks like this.”
Davis’ words reminded me of another time an artist went “against the grain of what pop culture tends to value.” At a time when a precise neoclassicism still ruled the French art establishment, Claude Monet’s 1874 exhibition, Impression, Sunrise, was mercilessly mocked by art critic Louis Leroy, who wrote that “the wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than this seascape.” He didn’t know it, the sarcastic title of his review, The Impressionist Exhibition, would inspire the term for a massive art movement that he saw as messy and unfinished.
Am I saying that Flores should give up “the glow of the heart” to pursue a more editorial career? Frankly, I doubt that’s her intention, although there’s no reason why she should have to stay in just one box.
In her original response to criticism on Threads, Flores wrote that she accepted “positive and negative” comments with “grace and gratitude” while encouraging her followers to lead with kindness.
