Woman reveals A$AP Rocky’s Met Gala quilt was made by her great-grandmother and donated to a thrift store
A woman has revealed her great-grandmother was the original creator of A$AP Rocky’s 2021 Met Gala quilt.
Earlier this month, the rapper arrived on the annual red carpet, alongside his girlfriend Rihanna, in a red, yellow, blue, green and floral patterned blanket by ERL designer Eli Russell Linnetz, which he had wrapped around his shoulders.
However, according to a woman named Sarah, who shared a photo of the blanket on a bed in her home, the quilt was actually handcrafted by her great-grandmother before it was eventually donated to a thrift store.
“So my great-grandmother’s quilt was donated to an antique/thrift store a while back,” Sarah, who goes by the username @books_n_babies, wrote on Instagram. “When I saw the #MetGala photo I realised instantly that it had to be the same quilt. I read the Vogue article about the designer finding the quilt in Southern California and with his office not that far from us in Venice California, I demanded that my mom go look for the photos of it on our old bed.”
“Looks like great grandma Mary went to the #metgala with @asaprocky and @erl__________.”
Along with the caption, Sarah shared a photo of the rapper at the Met Gala wearing the quilt like a cape, as well as one showing the same blanket covering a bed.
Linnetz previously told Vogue that he had chosen to use the antique quilt, which he found in a thrift shop, for the Met Gala theme: “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” because of its historical connection to the “American experience”.
“After finding an antique quilt at a thrift store, Linnetz decided to use it as a base for the Met piece, working in pieces of personal resonance into the look,” the outlet stated, with Linnetz explaining that he then “used these amazing plaids and flannels and embroidered my family’s name all over the quilt”.
The designer added: “There’s an irony to it that I liked, using the clothing of the deceased to create this beautiful new quilt then [in their honour] that lasts forever.”
According to Sarah, the quilt was originally made by her great-grandmother for her mother, as she explained in the comments: “She made the quilt as a present for my mom. It was on her bed for a really long time. But we have so many quilts and blankets because everybody’s so crafty that she ended up donating it!”
On Instagram, the unique connection has prompted an outpouring of amused and surprised responses, with many finding the coincidence fascinating.
“This is amazing! I can’t believe it,” one person commented, while another said: “This is so sweet.”
Others praised the designer for using recycled pieces, with someone else writing: “Wow this is wild! Talk about #sustainablefashion.”
The use of the woman’s great-grandmother’s quilt also prompted many to suggest that her relative be credited with the design, with another person commenting: “Designer should credit granny!”
However, in a follow-up post, which saw Sarah share more photos of the quilt, she clarified that she wanted to post the photos because she thought that it was “amazing,” and not because her family is “accusing anyone of stealing this” or because they want money.
“I have included more photos that my mother took of the quilt before it was donated. I am only posting this because I wanted to clarify that we aren’t accusing anyone of stealing this and we don’t want money. I posted this because I found it amazing that something that my great-grandmother made out of love for my mother, to be used to keep her warm, and was donated so that it might keep somebody else warm or sold to raise funds for a lovely charity, ended up being used for an amazing statement art piece by amazingly talented people who took it to the next level,” she wrote.
Sarah then revealed that she had spoken to the designer, and quilter Zak Foster, who worked on the piece, and that they were both “lovely people”.
“And to everyone who is concerned that we gave away this quilt, please don’t be worried we still have many quilts and afghans and handmade loveys that she left behind for us,” she concluded.
The additional post prompted renewed praise for the sentimental story, with one person commenting: “This is the best story to come out of the Met Gala this year. And it promotes sustainable fashion which should be high priority.”
The Independent has contacted Sarah and Linnetz for comment.
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