This year’s theme celebrates the career of Karl Lagerfeld, a designer whose career spanned from the 1950s to his death in 2019. Consequently, attire on Monday could gesture, as Lagerfeld’s designs have, to the optimism of the 1950s, the “youthquake” of the 1960s, the rebellion and revolution of the 1970s, the materialism and glamour of the 1980s, the practicality and functionality of the ‘90s and the transition from the Y2K avant-garde mode of the early 2000s to the eco-friendly and sustainable clothing options of the 2010s.

Certainly, Lagerfeld engaged and embodied the ideas and spirit of the eras in which he lived. But he also found inspiration for his work by studying the “age of revolutions” in the 18th century — a time of vast historical change with dramatic and decisive political contestations within America, France and Haiti. In choosing to use the eruptions of the 18th century as motivation for employing aesthetics to demonstrate the changes of his time, Lagerfeld emulated one of the most famous ambassadors of the 18th century, Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson spent his public life using visual mechanisms — for example, clothing, paintings, architecture, sculpture and the presentation of food — to engage with and comment on the politics and ideas of his era.

For instance, although Jefferson came into the presidency with a reputation for having a penchant for fine dressing and a knowledge and appreciation of fine arts, he often conspicuously eschewed the formal dress code of a statesman to wear more-plain clothes. He sought to emulate the “common man” to champion the notion of a democratic-republicanism. Scandalous stories frequently emerged about Jefferson donning mismatched jackets and trousers, old bath robes and slippers, with disheveled hair while receiving prominent guests at the White House. Most famously, Jefferson seemed to have offended British envoy Anthony Merry, who arrived to meet him in full diplomatic regalia, only to find the president unkempt. Merry interpreted Jefferson’s appearance as a personal affront to him and the entire English government, recounting ad nauseam the story of the offense to anyone willing to listen.

However, many, including Merry, knew that Jefferson had grand intentions and no interest in the egos of touchy dignitaries. The president was speaking to the politics of his times through his attire. The provocative dress that Jefferson employed during his presidency was a symbol of a long-standing conflict, one that infused his approach to officeholding.

As both secretary of state and vice president, Jefferson openly criticized the Federalist policies of predecessors George Washington and John Adams: support for the national bank, increased dependence on trade with England, advocacy for a national economy based on commerce and industry instead of agriculture. He characterized these practices as monarchal and asserted that both the Washington and Adams administrations unknowingly jeopardized the republican values of the fledgling American nation. In response, Federalist Alexander Hamilton characterized Jefferson as an advocate for anarchy.

This ideological rift gave Jefferson reason to separate from the Federalist Party and run for office — and win the presidency — as a Democratic-Republican candidate. And, in the process, he became more intentional about using aesthetics as a tool to challenge traditional hierarchies of governmental leadership in favor of egalitarian democracy.

Thus, Jefferson retired the powdered wigs, the lace ruffles and the sword that he wore during his tenure as American minister to the French court of Louis XVI. Additionally, he put away the more-somber, simplistic suits that had recently come into fashion right before his presidency, in favor of an aesthetic standard that attacked the very notion of protocol.

As is well-documented, Jefferson was no purist. In fact, he embodied contradiction as much as he evoked historical change. While Jefferson conducted his overt displays of democratic sentiment with simple styles, he also owned a beautiful estate and plantation, enslaved people of African descent and continuously collected myriad signifiers of wealth and privilege — large painted portraits, books, wine, statuary and other expensive objects and accoutrements. Additionally, during his presidency, he hosted dinner parties in what is now the Green Room of the White House with a menu that boasted a fusion of delicacies from France, West Africa and the American South. These meals were prepared by a French chef and two enslaved teenage girls.

Still, his informal dress mattered. It undergirded a fundamental principle of a healthy democratic-republican nation, that governments exists to meet the needs of common people.

As the author of America’s founding document, the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was integral to the creation of the nation, but by later challenging its politics, he illustrated the value of diverse opinions and robust political discourse.

Like Jefferson, tonight’s Met Gala honoree, Lagerfeld, possessed contradictions in his psyche and behavior that undermined his mantra of revolution and progress. For example, in 2017, he drew criticism from some Europeans for openly attacking German chancellor Angela Merkel for opening Germany’s borders to Syrian war refugees and other immigrants seeking political asylum.

Additionally, in 2013, Lagerfeld alienated some consumers by expressing his preference to work with petite models instead of women with more shapely figures. He argued that “no one wants to see curvy women on the catwalk.” Most assuredly this did not reflect the spirit of the time. It ignored the fashion industry’s burgeoning attempts at more inclusive sizing, and it ignored the success of models such as Gisele Bündchen and Adriana Lima whose curvaceous figures launched them into catwalk stardom.

Despite these controversial moments in Lagerfeld’s career, leaders of the art world beckon those who attend tonight’s Met Gala to dress “in honor of Karl.” While Lagerfeld himself dressed simply — he wore his hair in a queue (a tiny ponytail with a ribbon) and donned black suits — his work as a designer advanced an idea that Jefferson once embedded in American political institutions: change can be a positive and necessary sign of the times.