BLACKPINK’s Lisa may have intended to turn heads at the 2025 Met Gala — but not quite like this. The Thai-born K-pop idol and star of The White Lotus walked the red carpet on May 5 in a sheer pearl-studded bodysuit paired with a gold waist chain and layered jewellery. But it wasn’t the sparkle that caught public attention — it was the controversial placement of civil rights icon Rosa Parks’ face on her lingerie.
The design — intended, perhaps, as a statement, quickly backfired. Social media erupted in criticism, with many accusing the singer of disrespecting Parks’ legacy by placing her image in a provocative context. One post read: “Underwear with Rosa Parks’ face? This isn’t a tribute, it’s a mockery.”
Others pointed to a broader pattern of insensitivity from some K-pop stars. “Lisa never apologised for using the n-word,” another user wrote. “Now this? Her team either doesn’t know or doesn’t care who Rosa Parks was.”
Rosa Parks, revered as the ‘Mother of the Civil Rights Movement’, made history in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her defiance sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and remains a pivotal moment in American civil rights history.
Neither Lisa nor her representatives have commented on the controversy at the time of writing. But online, the damage is already done — and fans are divided. While some argue for artistic freedom and fashion’s role in sparking conversation, others say this was tone-deaf at best, offensive at worst.
Whether the outfit was a deliberate political statement or a misguided styling choice, one thing is certain: Lisa’s Met Gala debut will be remembered — just not for the reasons she may have hoped.