Canadian musician Grimes is auctioning off accessories from her 2021 Met Gala look in a bid to raise money for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) families affected by the war in Ukraine.
In an announcement via her Instagram on Tuesday 17 May, Grimes said she will be selling the metal face mask and pearl-encrusted elf ears which completed her Dune-inspired outfit at the fashion event.
“Hey guys – I’m auctioning stuff from my Met gala look last year to raise money to help get BIPOC families out of Ukraine since they’re having trouble exiting at the border,” she said.
The proceeds of the auction will be given to two charities – Razom for Ukraine and Diaspora Relief – which are providing people with food, shelter and evacuation support.
Grimes’ silver eleven ear cuffs, by Sofia Pavlova, currently have a bid price of $1,100 (£890). They are estimated to be worth around $1,500 (£1,200).
The futuristic face covering, by Chris Habana, is valued at $1,200 (£970). The current bid price for the item is $2,500 (£2,000). The auction will close on Thursday 26 May.
The Met Gala memorabilia are among dozens of artworks and ephemera that embody “resistance” and were featured in an exhibit at HVW8 Gallery in Los Angeles, California.
Grimes wore the accessories with a custom hand-pleated silk gown by Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen at the September 2021 Met Gala.
In a video with Vogue ahead of the event, the 34-year-old said she had purchased the ear cuffs on Etsy. “I think this might be my best look ever actually,” she told the magazine.
To complete the avante-garde look, Grimes also carried a sword which was cast from a Colt AR-15A3 gun, in a nod to the theme “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”.
The sword was created by MSCHF, a New York-based company that melts down unwanted guns.
“It’s from these people who are getting people’s [guns] who don’t want to have their automatic rifles anymore, and are melting them down and making them perfect replicas of medieval swords, which I think is just so cool – I think it’s a beautiful thing,” Grimes said.
