Devin Halbal (aka @hal.baddie aka the most iconic person to come out of TikTok) has called out the Met Gala online. Devin famously began the legendary phrase “Met Gala behaviour” and people have been calling for her to be invited to the event for months. But according to her Insta she was snubbed for not being “A-list enough”.
In a series of Insta Stories, Devin — who is a trans woman — highlighted the fact that high fashion institutions are still unwilling to authentically celebrate and credit trans people.
“At this point I might have to make my own fashion magazine too,” she wrote.
“I really have to do this because the current institutions in place still are not accurately representing the world we live in.”
She also highlighted the immensely narrow standards of beauty trans women are subject to.
“We live in a world that tells us we aren’t beautiful unless we look a certain way,” she wrote.
“Part of me wonders if I was a cis woman who invented the term, maybe a designer would’ve reached out to design something for me already?”
The Met Gala has had social media stars attend before: in 2021 TikToker Addison Rae and YouTuber Emma Chamberlain both scored invites.
And as her editorial with Paper Magazine proves, Hal Baddie would fucking slay on the styling and fashion front.
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In her interview with Paper Magazine Devin cited the way brands use her incredibly popular audios without credit. She explained how they profit off of the specific platform she has built.
“Companies like Fashion Nova, Mejuri and others have used my audios to promote their products without paying me or putting me on their PR list,” Devin said.
“In fact, Fashion Nova didn’t even give me credit for my voice. This just isn’t okay. And this is disrespectful to me, the artist.”
@hal.baddieLOL
She also spoke to the significance of her platform as a trans woman.
“I need to make this space for me and other girls to come after me because we deserve to be on magazine covers,” she said.
“And I’m not talking about the dolls that get their work done. I’m talking about dolls who can’t afford surgeries. I’m talking about dolls with beards.
“I think it’s really crazy that we still really don’t have models that are trans women who aren’t cis passing or 100% passing. We need models with beards. We need girls with five o’clock shadows.”
And let’s be honest, Hal Baddie has done more for the Met Gala in six months than most celebs except Rihanna have done in almost two decades. Anna Wintour is literally shaking.
“Met Gala behaviour” is a phrase that’s entered the cultural lexicon solely because of her. The reason why people have been calling for Hal Baddie to attend the Met Gala is because she embodies the best of it. She’s effortlessly iconic.
On Instagram she pointed to how easy it is for wider culture to profit off social media stars. It’s an issue which particularly impacts creators of colour and trans creators.
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“If I’m not “A List” enough to be at The MET Gala, then A list celebrities should NOT say ‘Met Gala Behaviour’ at the function,” she wrote.
“The creator of that phrase is ME, and for any celebrity to say it OR use it as their Instagram caption without me being there is an ERASURE of the artist!!!! PERIODT.”
Devin explained that the “Met Gala Behaviour” phrase became successful because it specifically allowed trans women to “envision and centre themselves in fashion”.
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In her final Instagram post on the situation Devin slammed the entitlement and elitism of high fashion institutions.
“Fashion is for everyone and therefore should be accessible to everyone — not just very wealthy people!!! Classism is inherently violent,” she wrote.
“The world does not care about the dreams of young, poor black and brown trans people.”
Simply put, Hal Baddie is the future of fashion and culture. There is simply no “Met Gala Behaviour” without her.
