Doechii can’t catch a break as conversations continue about her 2025 Met Gala appearance. Following her umbrella debacle, people have been whispering about the Louis Vuitton brand logo on her upper cheek…and some folks aren’t happy about it.
The shock factor of her well-assembled look was the prosthetic LV logo scarred on her cheek, making it seem like Louis Vuitton had branded her. Some applaud her avant-garde appearance, while for many, the face logo didn’t land, with some claiming it’s a display of white ownership.
Fashion Editor and stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson posted on Threads, “I can’t stop thinking about Doechii’s scarification ‘glam’ at the Met Gala…how the semiotics of the logo interferes or interacts with the sacrality of the tribal tradition,” she shared. “I wonder if she is communicating ownership or belonging.”
Another Threads user posted “LOVE me so Doechii..I’m absolutely not into this European logo “branded” on her skin for a night celebrating the labor and ingenuity of Black culture and Black men. Not reading as subversive from here.”
Another user weighed in: “She’s displaying the way we wear/worship designer labels now in relation to how slaves were branded to show ownership of the plantation they lived on. LV is the new massuh.”
So, what may have inspired this look? According to Doechii, there’s a deeper narrative that ties directly to the brand’s symbolism. During her red carpet interview, the “Persuasive” rapper shared how Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, inspired this year’s gala theme.
“We studied a little bit on this character Julius Soubise, who really stood out to me,” she shared. “I’m a little nervous, but it feels really good. This is one of the biggest nights in fashion, and for it to be so Black, I’m present. I’m here.”
YouTuber Julius Soubise said the look nods to three fashion inspirations: Andre Leon Talley, Dapper Dan, and 18th century dandy. “Brandings are typically understood to be political and social markers of a physical state of captivity or ownership,” she explained. “Brandings are seldom connected to autonomy, they are not like tattoos. They have a very visceral reaction when we look at them.”
Doechii’s entire look represented a story rooted in slavery and ownership. She reclaimed it by making a bold statement through fashion and cultural pride, so let’s put this to rest.
