You may have heard of the Met Gala, but have you heard of its inclusive counterpart, the People’s Ball? The Brooklyn Public Library hosts the annual event at its Central location in Prospect Park’s Grand Army Plaza. This year, it will take place on Sunday, April 30, the night before Anna Wintour’s star-studded event. The People’s Ball also highlights fashion and features the full celebrity experience — a red carpet, professional photography, and a visual feast of glamorous outfits. But unlike the Met Gala (which can cost around $30,000 for a ticket and $275,000 for a table), the People’s Ball is completely free and no invitation is required.
The event began in 2018 under the leadership of the library’s first appointed vice president of arts and culture, László Jakab Orsós.
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“Haute couture events like the Met Gala are often so exclusive, leaving out New Yorkers who are just as deserving of the limelight,” Orsós told Hyperallergic. “People’s Ball is centered on the idea that everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves in authentic, dynamic, and diverse ways.”
The 2018 first edition was a smashing success — around 1,000 people attended and there were so many RSVPs that registration had to be closed. That year, actress Delissa Reynolds and author Isaac Fitzgerald hosted the event and inaugurated what’s now become the event’s signature catwalk. Independent designers are selected to showcase their work, but anyone can walk the runway. The guests’ clothes were nearly as dazzling as the ones highlighted in the fashion show.
The People’s Ball did not take place in 2019 or 2020 and was postponed in 2021 amidst the rising number of COVID-19 cases. It came back last year with an impressive lineup of designers and performers including Paris the Hip-Hop Juggler, who intersperses his stunts with comedy, and Opera Gaga, an opera-singing aerialist, pole dancer, and burlesque performer. Soul singer Cunio and DJ and vocalist Rimarkable will also perform this year. Artist Mickalene Thomas will co-host the night’s award segment with fashion curator and writer Souleo, who will also co-curate the runway show. Souleo was invited to work on the event last year, too, after working on an exhibition for the library that celebrated the Black is Beautiful movement.
This year, the curator will announce five “People’s Heroes” who have made important contributions to the cultural sphere and life of New Yorkers.
Two recipients pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop (which the Brooklyn Public Library is celebrating alongside its Manhattan counterpart and the Universal Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx). Those awards will go to fashion icons Dapper Dan and April Walker and Cindy Campbell, the “first lady of hip hop” whose 1973 back-to-school party is credited with birthing the cultural movement.
Souleo and Thomas will also honor two social justice advocates: Asmeret Berhe-Lumax, founder of the One Love Community Fridge, which provides free and healthy food to Brooklynites, and Neighbors Helping Neighbors tenant organizer Aura Mejia.
The final 2023 “People’s Hero” is legendary model Pat Cleveland. She walked in the iconic Battle of Versailles fashion show which happened 50 years ago in 1973.
Souleo is no stranger to the art and fashion worlds, and like Orsós, he spoke to the unique role that the People’s Ball holds in the landscape of New York City galas.
“There are those who can afford the fancy, elitist events and the rest of us who cannot,” Souleo said. “This celebrates the everyday people. It gives them a high-quality space, a wonderful production, a great environment, and wonderful entertainment so that they can represent themselves authentically.” He described a crowd that was energetic, dancing, posing, and snapping selfies.
“This is one of those opportunities where people can get dressed up again and express themselves,” he added. “Everyone is complimenting each other’s outfits, and you really feel a sense of community.”
Last year’s performer Opera Gaga reiterated this point. She said that big events where she performs can sometimes feel “stuffy and exclusive,” but “the People’s Ball didn’t feel like that at all.”
“As a performer, it’s not uncommon to feel like ‘the help,’ wear what the client wants, perform what they want, and make myself invisible off stage,” Opera Gaga added.
“It’s my job to deliver and be a professional no matter the gig,” she continued. “But I always love it when I get to mingle with the audience and feel like I’m involved and connecting with people on a personal level and getting to express myself as a person and an artist.”
“New Yorkers, when we’re on the street or the subway, we’re all kind of on the same level — we see something going down, good, bad, crazy, sometimes pretty hilarious — we make eye contact, there’s an unspoken camaraderie there. We might laugh together without exchanging a word, or we might band together to get out of a situation.”
“That’s what the crowd felt like to me,” Opera Gaga continued. “Many walks of life all coming together to enjoy the night.
Source: Hyperallergic.com