- Indigenous model Quannah Chasinghorse said she felt more welcome at the 2022 Met Gala.
- She previously told Insider she felt "lonely" and like she didn't belong at last year's event.
- "I came here this year more prepared," the 19-year-old told Reuters on the red carpet Monday.
Quannah Chasinghorse said she felt more welcome at the 2022 Met Gala after speaking out about feeling lonely during last year's event.
The Indigenous model, climate activist, and land protector wore a dreamy aquamarine tulle Prabal Gurung gown to the "gilded glamour"–themed Met Gala on Monday. While walking the red carpet, the 19-year-old, whose heritage is Hän Gwich'in and Oglala Lakota, stopped by to speak with Reuters about how her second time attending fashion's biggest night differed from her first.
"I came here this year more prepared," Chasinghorse said.
"It was a little lonely last year," she added, before the reporter asked whether she felt more welcome this time around.
"I felt alone because my people haven't been welcomed into these spaces before," she said of 2021's event. "It's really important to get representation into these spaces."
—Reuters Showbiz (@ReutersShowbiz) May 2, 2022
"Being one of the first Indigenous women with facial tattoos, being welcomed the way I was — was beautiful — but it should've been a long time ago," Chasinghorse added.
Speaking to Insider after the 2021 Met Gala, the model said she felt lonelier attending the American-themed event than a viral tweet she shared about the experience in September let on.
"It was just such a weird space to be in," Chasinghorse told Insider at the time. "I remember standing there and looking at everyone and feeling so alone. Like, really, really lonely."
"No one knew me. No one cared to ask," she added. "People are there for themselves and it shows."
As she did at the 2021 Met Gala, Chasinghorse accessorized her couture look with handcrafted jewelry made by Indigenous artisans.
In the interview with Reuters, she said her necklace — created by Lenise Omeasoo of Antelope Women Designs — was made of earth elements such as porcupine quills and moose hide that her people traditionally used "back in the day."
Speaking to Insider in September, Chasinghorse said that for her people body art and jewelry are seen as medicine with healing powers. During last year's event, she said the accessories combined with her facial tattoos helped her remember her ancestors, which in turn made her feel less alone on the red carpet.
"All my ancestors were with me in that moment; they walked the red carpet with me," Chasinghorse told Insider at the time. "That made me feel more powerful."
Representatives for Quannah Chasinghorse and Antelope Women Designs did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
