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One World with Zain Asher
UAE: Air Defenses Dealing With New Missile Threat From Iran; Israel And Hezbollah trade Attacks Despite Ceasefire; Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found On Synagogues And Homes In Queens; Deadly Car-Ramming Attack On Pedestrians In Germany; No Clear Frontrunner In California Gubernatorial Race; CNN Speaks With Top Vogue Editor Chloe Malle Ahead Of Met Gala; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired May 05, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:45]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You're watching the second hour of "One World."
President Trump refuses to say what constitutes a ceasefire violation, but adds that Iran knows what not to do. His comment -- his comments come just
after the UAE says that their air defenses responded to new Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Both the U.S. and Iran acknowledge that there had been outbreaks of fighting Monday as the U.S. mission to guide commercial shipping through
the Strait got going.
ASHER: According to the U.S., the operation dubbed "Project Freedom" helped two American flagships to pass safely through the waterway. Although that's
been disputed by Iran's IRGC.
Moments ago, President Donald Trump weighed in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They know what to do and they know what to do. Wait for -- and they know what not to do, more
importantly, actually.
And, you know, they fired every little boats with pea shooters. You know what are pea shooters? Little boat with little -- you know why? Because
they don't have any boats anymore. The Navy is comprised of, they call them little boats, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right, sir. Little boats.
TRUMP: And they're fast. Yes. They're so fast that -- that they had eight of them and they're all gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Let's go straight to Paula Hancocks live from Abu Dhabi, where once again the defense -- has been activated their defense systems there in
retaliation to potential more strikes.
Paula, this has been a very turbulent 48 hours for the UAE in particular. How are officials responding now, second day in a row, that their defense
systems have been activated and the president just making comments an hour ago about it?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, this was about an hour and a half ago, that there was a warning that -- that there was incoming and
that the ministry of defense, the military, was dealing with the -- with that incoming.
Now, we have no clarity on -- on what was targeted at this point or where exactly the location was. But we do know that it just comes 24 hours after
we saw a number of -- of attacks from Iran. There was some 19 missile and drone attacks in all on Monday. And that was really just over several
hours, which hadn't happened since April 9th when the UAE last said, declared the airspace free from threats.
So, there is anger at the -- the -- the powers that they hear in -- in the UAE. We've heard from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they've had a
statement condemning Iran saying that they bear sole responsibility, also saying that it's a dangerous escalation and unacceptable transgression and
that they do reserve the full and legitimate right to respond, should they feel the need to, saying that Iran needs to stop all attacks immediately.
Now, we did hear as well from the U.S. president, a day earlier, almost downplaying what had been happening on Monday evening here, local time. We
did see and hear from the U.S. president when he was asked on ABC News about the attacks against the UAE saying, they were shot down for the most
part, one got through not huge damage.
So, at this point, it appears as though he was trying to lessen the impact, focus potentially more on the negotiations rather than the escalation that
we were seeing the reality of, the -- the sad recurring reality here in the UAE, where residents once again are hearing emergency alerts on their
phones after a relatively calm and -- and normal several weeks, which to be fair, most people here had got used to believing potentially things had got
back to normal.
Now, we heard from the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson as well, trying to justify the attacks against Gulf nations. Oman also on the
receiving end of projectiles saying that they felt that it was a defensive move, saying that it was an open secret that some of the Gulf nations,
military bases, military assets were being used against Iran during the war itself.
But the condemnation that we've heard, not just from the UAE and from the Gulf nations, but from countries around the world has been swift. It has
been strong and everybody condemning the Iranian regime for -- for carrying out this -- this retaliation against -- against Gulf nations and -- and
really showing an escalation.
[12:05:22]
We did hear also, though, from the Pentagon trying to not lessen the impact of -- of what Iran had done, but trying to point out that this wasn't the
sole reason that a ceasefire should collapse.
We heard from General Dan Caine, for example, of the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman saying that it's low harassing fire right now. It feels like Iran
is grasping at straws. He described it as low-level kinetics.
Now, of course, that may not feel like it in the corridors of power here in Abu Dhabi, but certainly in the -- the -- the greater picture, certainly
the Trump administration, the White House, the Pentagon, appears to be downplaying what is happening and this increase in hostilities at this
point, potentially to focus on negotiations.
Back to you.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Paula Hancocks, thank you.
ASHER: Thanks, Paula.
All right. If the U.S.-Iran truce collapses, Israel is eyeing the possibility of escalating strikes on Hezbollah across Lebanon. That's
according to an Israeli source.
Let's go straight now to our Jerry Diamond. Jerry was five now from Jerusalem. Jeremy, what more can you tell us?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, if this broader ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran collapses,
Israel is very much readying for the possibility of -- of being able to resume its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
And in fact, the Israeli military has already begun eyeing that possibility of resuming high-intensity strikes against Hezbollah. We know, of course,
that Israel was, you know, in many ways, pressured into agreeing to this cease -- this current ceasefire in Lebanon at the request of President
Trump, who wanted to -- who understood that it was critical that that ceasefire take place in order for the broader ceasefire with Iran to move
forward. And also, because President Trump has been interested in seeing this Israeli Lebanese diplomacy actually move forward.
But now, we are learning, according to an Israeli source, that the Israeli Prime Minister has, in fact, informed President Trump of his desire to go
back to higher-intensity strikes against Hezbollah. And, of course, that scenario would very likely unfold, should this broader ceasefire agreement
fall apart.
But it's important to note, of course, that in the time since the ceasefire in Lebanon has gone into effect, we have nonetheless seen daily cross-
border strikes between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel has carried out multiple strikes today since the ceasefire went into effect, killing nearly
400 people in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Hezbollah has also fired anti-tank missiles and rockets and drones increase -- in increasing numbers, in fact, in -- in recent weeks, targeting Israeli
soldiers in Southern Lebanon, as well as Israel's northern communities.
Several Israeli soldiers have been killed and wounded by those Hezbollah attacks. But the ceasefire for all intents and purposes is nonetheless
holding this conflict at a lower intensity, one that has allowed these negotiations to begin to take place between Israel and Lebanon.
The Lebanese president just yesterday indicating that the third round of what they are calling preparatory talks between the Israeli and Lebanese
ambassadors to Washington will take place this week. We don't yet have an exact date for that.
However, the Lebanese government has made quite clear that it is not willing to actually engage in the substance of negotiations about disarming
Hezbollah, about eventually establishing some kind of normalized relations between Israel and Lebanon until there is a veritable ceasefire on the
ground that Israeli strikes cease in Southern Lebanon and in the rest of Lebanon, of course, as well.
Lebanese government also pushing for Israel to stop the bulldozing that it has been carrying out of Lebanese towns and villages in Southern Lebanon in
order to establish with the military's calling a buffer zone there.
And, of course, they also want to see the withdrawal of thousands of Israeli troops that are still positions right now in Southern Lebanon.
Zain, Bianna.
ASHER: Jeremy Diamond, thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Our next guest is an expert on Iran and U.S. policy in the Middle East. Alireza Nader joins us from Washington, D.C. Thank you so much
for taking the time.
So, let's talk about the immediate reality in the Gulf. We have the Pentagon insisting that Iran firing, I think, a total of 10 times on U.S.
assets in the Strait of Hormuz does not amount to restarting the war.
So, the ceasefire, as far as the United States, is concerned, is still in place. How is the IRGC, in your view, interpreting this?
[12:10:02]
ALIREZA NADER, IRAN EXPERT: I think for the IRGC, this is a very good situation, frankly, because the United States cannot militarily solve this
problem. Iran, as long as it has physical control over the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran really occupies most of the Persian Gulf Coast,.
And as long as Iran can use drones, very cheap drones, to target ships, I don't see how the United States or Israel can solve this situation
militarily.
And the regime in Iran is very well aware that President Trump is becoming increasingly unpopular, that he might lose the midterm elections, that
Israel's position in the United States is under a lot of pressure.
And although the regime is widely despised in Iran, there have been major uprising against the regime for the last 10 years, really. There are no
signs that this regime is going to go away, unfortunately, anytime soon.
So, yes, the regime has been very much battered militarily. It is economically vulnerable. But I really do believe it can withstand the
stalemate for months, if not even years.
ASHER: Months, if not even years. I mean, it's definitely withstood it for far longer than I think a lot of people imagined at the start of the war on
February 28th.
One of the things that Tehran is warning is that it has additional ways to complicate matters for the United States, not just by trying to sort of
control the Strait of Hormuz, additional ways beyond that. What do you think Tehran means by that?
NADER: Well, there are a number of things the regime can do. It could resort to regional terrorism and international terrorism. We haven't seen
any major attempts to carry international or the regional terrorist attacks in the Middle East, Israel and elsewhere, but this is something the regime
can do.
It could motivate other proxies like the Houthis and Yemen to interfere shipping and the Red Sea. I think the Houthis have been held in reserve so
far. So, while a lot of the regime's proxies like Hezbollah have been militarily weakened, the regime hasn't lost all its levers.
So, in addition to what it can do in the Persian Gulf, it can also ramp up its chemical and biological weapons program and even decide to assemble
nuclear weapons if it decides the time is right.
So, the United States may have weakened the regime militarily to some extent, but it hasn't really solved the problem of this regime interfering
with shipping in the Persian Gulf.
Before this war broke out, I want to add the people of Iran were engaged in a revolutionary struggle to overthrow this regime. And I really believe
that the U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran have really set back that movement.
I think that movement, the revolutionary movement in Iran has much better potential in the medium and long-term.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Though, it's important to note that if in fact some 40,000, when we do know that tens of thousands, maybe as many as 40,000 people had
been slaughtered by the regime in the early days of January of this year, and then things seem to be a bit suppressed.
This was after President Trump had signaled that help was on the way the war then began officially on February 28. No one knows what would have
happened had the strikes not started, but still there were quite a number of weeks where it did seem like the regime was able to clamp down for now.
I do want to pick up on the asymmetric advantage that you and others have noted that Iran has long had an advantage hereof.
But I do wonder what other surprises may have been added to the mix here in the last few months, specifically with Israel actually coming to the United
Arab Emirates' aid and providing them with Iron Dome batteries, obviously laser defense systems as well as even troops on the ground.
How much has this war realigned the regional dynamic within the Gulf countries? None of them had been enamored with the Iranian regime, but what
position does that put the relationship in now?
NADER: Well, I think the UAE has very close security ties with Israel more than any other country in the Persian Gulf, but I think that the other Gulf
countries, while they see Iran as a primary reason for this conflict, are not necessarily happy with the Trump administration or Israel.
You don't really hear about this very publicly, but the war has had an enormous economic cost for the Gulf countries; Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Bahrain, Oman. Oman, for example, has sided with Iran pretty much in this conflict and blamed Israel.
[12:15:15]
So, the rulers in Iran know that they can apply a lot of economic pressure against the GCC states by using asymmetric methods. And the United States
will not be able to get rid of the regime's asymmetric methods.
You know, they can bomb as military facilities at once too. But one thing we have to keep in mind is much of Iran's military infrastructure and
military industry complex is actually underground.
Iran has been building tunnels and bunkers since at least the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. So, we don't even know how much damage necessarily we're
doing. This is why I think the regime could last months, if not years.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Alireza Nader, thank you so much. Really appreciate your insights. Thanks for coming on.
ASHER: All right. New York police are looking for the vandals who spray painted anti-Semitic graffiti in Queens.
GOLODRYGA: Police say they drew swastikas on two homes, synagogues, and a vehicle overnight.
Brynn Gingras has more.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, guys. I mean, this is particularly heinous because the home that you just referenced there, we're
told from our affiliate, WABC, that is actually owned by a Holocaust survivor, particularly heinous, certainly targeted. That's what officials
are going with right now.
In New York, the NYPD task force is investigating this and they have surveillance video from one of those Jewish centers that was targeted to go
with.
Now, look, the video is not that great, but certainly it is worth circulating. Hopefully, police say someone will recognize the individuals
in these videos. This was on Monday morning. That was the time about one o'clock in the morning. You could see them running away there with their
hoods on. That is when they believe these anti-Semitic acts were conducted. So authorities hoping that video can certainly identify any of these
individuals.
But as you guys mentioned, what was targeted was a home, again, by a Holocaust survivor, a Jewish center, a synagogue, and a memorial plaque as
well.
We know that the NYPD was on the scene and that they were taking fingerprints. Again, they have that video. We know that all of those
hateful symbols were -- have now been erased. You know, obviously, the community, they're happy about that, but certainly wanting this to stop.
I do want you to know that the mayor who has been criticized about his response to anti-Semitic incidents across New York City, he did quickly put
out an X post, in part saying, "There was no place for anti-Semitism in Queens or anywhere in our city. I stand in solidarity with our Jewish
neighbors. Their safety, dignity, and belonging are non-negotiable."
And again, this is something that the community has been loud about, wanting some sort of action taken. Certainly in New York, of course,
they're -- this city is not immune to the rise of anti-Semitism that we have been seeing all across this country, guys.
GOLODRYGA: An unfortunate reality that that's not only the U.S. and New York, but around the world. We're seeing too many of these incidents.
Brynn Gingras, thank you.
ASHER: All right. Police are investigating a deadly car ramming attack on pedestrians in Leipzig, Germany. It happened Monday when a man drove into a
crowd of people visiting a popular shopping area.
CNN's Melissa Bell has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A 33-year-old German citizen has been arrested after a car-ramming attack in the eastern German city of Leipzig.
The 33-year-old, it's understood, drove his car down a pedestrian street, killing two people and severely wounding two other to such an extent that
he's now facing two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
Very little from authorities by way of explanation as to what his motive might have been. It was at about 4:45 local time in the historic heart of
Leipzig that the man drove his car into the pedestrian street causing a great deal of chaos and panic, of course, amongst the pedestrians that were
simply milling around in that road.
He was stopped, arrested eventually, still at the wheel of his car by authorities and is now in custody facing those counts.
For now, authorities tight-lipped about what his motives might have been, but they did not when they gave a press conference after the incident
exclude the possibility of mental health issues.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Still to come here, California dreaming, the nation's most popular state gets ready to hold a primary for governor and a race
that could affect generations to come.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, country music legend Dolly Parton gives an update on her health why she cancels upcoming shows. What she told fans, that's ahead.
[12:20:05]
Plus, it's one of the biggest nights in fashion. We take a look at Met Gala, which last night raised record-breaking funds for New York's
Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute. We'll have more after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: A Senate key primary starting today in Ohio and Indiana are poised to test the strength of Donald Trump's grip on the Republican Party,
and as well as the role the president intends to play in the midterm elections coming up in November.
ASHER: In Indiana, President Trump is looking for revenge. He's hoping to help oust Republican state legislators who rejected his demands to
redistrict state map. The president is endorsing candidates who are challenging those lawmakers.
GOLODRYGA: California holds its primaries early next month, then could be the reliable blue Democratic state, the land of Hollywood and solar panels?
Could it have a ruby red Republican governor though for the first time in decades?
ASHER: Well, certainly not that far-fetched. A month before the primary, a free for all has broken out in the race for governor.
GOLODRYGA: Half a dozen Democrats, as well as two Republicans, are vying for the top spot. And regardless of party, the top two candidates will
advance to the November election. The outgoing Democratic governor defended his record in a recent interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Since I've been governor, no other developed nation has outperformed our economy. No other state has outperformed the
economy of state of California.
BILL MAHER, AMERICAN HOST: Have any people feel that on -- on the --
NEWSOM: They may not feel that in every way, shape or form, but we're dominating every key industry.
We've also seen the last three years population growth. We've got to update our talking points. We've seen a nine percent decline in unsheltered
homelessness. We've got to update our talking points.
We've seen a 60 percent increase in permits for housing. We've got to update talking points. I'm very proud of the state of California.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Jeff Zeleny joining us live now from Washington.
So, obviously, we've got the primary debate here on CNN tonight, just in terms of what we should watch for. I mean, there's just been so many
interesting shifts in this race, especially with, of course, Eric Swalwell dropping out.
But also on top of that, this idea of the strategy with some of the Democratic candidates, whether they should focus on being as Anti-Trump as
possible, or whether they should focus on the day-to-day issues, affecting ordinary Californians. These are -- these are important things that they
have to decide in terms of their strategy going in tonight, Jeff.
[12:25:01]
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: There's no doubt -- there's no doubt about it. And you obviously heard Governor Newsom
there defending his own record.
He's looking at a different race. That is the 2028 presidential race. But there's no question that his referendum or his record as governor is front
and center on the debate stage tonight.
I mean, as the Democratic candidates and a couple Republican candidates are trying to vie to replace him. And every election in our era now is a
changed election. So this, yes, will be a change election from the Newsom administration?
Donald Trump, of course, is front and center in this because his approval ratings, of course, are down certainly in California.
But there are some real questions and some real issues. And that is where a couple Republican candidates on stage, like Steve Hilton, who President
Trump has endorsed, Chad Bianco, the other Republican on there, are really going to go after the Newsom administration on the -- the cost of housing,
on homelessness, on just affordability overall, on the rebuilding of the wildfires from that fires in Los Angeles and -- and across California.
So, there are so many different issues. But Democrats here are going to try and break out of this pack. I mean, it is a very, very large pack.
But Xavier Becerra, a former Health and Human Services Secretary in the Biden Administration, he has been gaining some ground recently, now going
head-to-head against Tom Steyer, who of course has spent about $130 million or so of his own money on television ads, has not yet really broken
through.
So, I think we'll see a couple different things at the debate tonight. A Republican primary, as well as a Democratic sort of a pylon where a lot of
these candidates are trying to break out.
But the interesting nature of California is we're going to see all of these candidates on the same stage because they are on the same ballot. And the
top two winners of the June 2nd primary advance to November, regardless of what party they are.
So, there's an outside possibility that the top two contenders in the primary could be Republicans. That, of course, would be a huge blow for
Democrats. But again, mathematically, it's possible. Politically, it's unlikely.
GOLODRYGA: Jeff, from what you're hearing, how much attention will the White House, namely President Trump, be spending focused on this particular
debate?
ZELENY: Look, I mean, I think the president is not paying all that much attention to the California primary. He has many other things going on. You
mentioned Indiana, the state primary, that is where the president, I'm told, is relentlessly focused.
Think of it, the president of the United States, with all of these challenges, the Iran war, so many other things, an upcoming trip to China.
He's focusing on Indiana State Senate races, not because Republicans could lose them, but because he wants a new set of Republicans in there.
It's exhibit A of his retribution and revenge tour. These are Republicans who voted against him in the redistricting battles of last year. So, I do
not believe President Trump has focused all that much on the California primary.
He does have a candidate in the race, but he's spoken very, very little about it. So, interesting primary day, there's no doubt. But a month from
now, in the second of June when the California voters vote, that is going to be one of the biggest election days so far yet of this midterm election.
I mean, don't forget, one of every eight Americans actually lives in California.
GOLODRYGA: They do. We'll be watching. We'll be covering it all tonight, Jeff Zeleny, thank you.
And don't miss the California governor debate right here on CNN. Our Kaitlan Collins and Elex Michaelson are the moderators. CNN's coverage live
from California starts tonight at 9:00 P.M. Eastern, 6:00 P.M. on the West Coast. You can also watch it on the CNN app.
ASHER: And Dolly Parton is speaking out about her health struggles as she cancels her Las Vegas residency. The country legend took to social media to
post a rare health update. She says that she's seeking treatment, but it's -- she's not quite ready to hit the stage. Take a listen to what she have
to stay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOLLY PARTON, COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR: I have some good news and a little bad news. But the good news is, I'm responding really well to meds and
treatments, and I'm improving every day.
Now, the bad news is, it's going to take me a little while before I'm up to stage performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a
little bit swimmy-headed, as my grandma used to say.
But this thing of me is like an old classic car, that once restored, can be better than ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: How amazing does she look? She sounds great. We're wishing her a speedy recovery. The 80-year-old singer did not mention her specific
condition, but mentioned her battles with kidney stones.
Parton also went on to say her immune system and digestive system have been out of whack for the past couple of years. Truly one of the best people
that this country has ever, ever created.
[12:30:05]
ASHER: All right. Still to come, a conversation with Vogue's new head of editorial content. Chloe Malle spoke to CNN just before the Met Gala's
fashion's biggest night of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHLOE MALLE, HEAD OF EDITORIAL CONTENT, AMERICAN VOGUE: I dress different than Anna does, and maybe that's confusing for people.
The fact that that leans a bit towards Katharine Hepburn with the librarian is just something we're going to have to deal with.
RACHEL TASHJIAN, CNN SENIOR STYLE REPORTER: Did someone say that?
MALLE: No, but I like that.
TASHJIAN: OK.
MALLE: It's my dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.
The first Monday in May means, of course, last night was indeed the Met -- Met Gala, one of fashion's biggest nights. The theme this year was fashion
is art and the invite only crowd of A-listers dazzled in their own interpretations. The event raised a record $42 million for the Metropolitan
Museum of Art's Costume Institute.
GOLODRYGA: But this gala's -- this year's gala also drew controversy. Some activists opposing the fact that billionaire Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos
and his wife, Lauren Sanchez, sponsored the event.
Protesters around New York criticize the wealthy disparity. They say that Bezos perpetuates and called for workers to be recognized.
ASHER: Chloe Malle became Americans' Vogue's head of editorial content last year, succeeding Anna Wintour.
GOLODRYGA: And on Monday, she attended the Met Gala for the first time in her new role. Ahead of the big night, she told CNN's Rachel Tashjian about
being in vogue's top job and the inspiration behind the dress she wore last night.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALLE: Here is Colleen's images of the dress.
TASHJIAN: Cool. Oh, this is amazing.
MALLE: This is our starting point because I'm a big flaming June person.
My bulletin board did move with me from my other office with impressive art from my toddlers.
[12:35:01]
TASHJIAN: They have a very cohesive aesthetic.
MALLE: So true.
TASHJIAN: For toddlers.
MALLE: Yes.
Alice just turned four and Arthur turned six next month. Very exciting on the heels of the Met Gala to be planning a Disney villain themed birthday
for your six-year-old.
I was very excited when I started thinking about this year's theme. The dress code is fashion as art. The editorial team pulled all of our editors
and writers about their favorite piece of clothing and art and several of us said the mango-colored dress in the Flaming June painting. I love
Colleen Allen's work.
And when I went to her fall presentation, I was so impressed with the color palette that she used. But it's one of the first times I've worked with
someone on a custom dress.
There is more scrutiny on what I'm wearing, not scrutiny necessarily, but - - but interest and focus on it. And if that means that it makes five people aware of Colleen that could be important and helpful to her, how exciting
and how fantastic.
TASHJIAN: There have been some social media posts about what you wear in your style. Some people saying it's too casual and some of these you've
shared. Do you look at those things? How do you react to that?
MALLE: I do have a Google alert for my name, so I do see when things come up. I like to know what's out there, but I'm not -- I'm certainly not
reading comments because I think that's a dark place.
But, yes, I dress different than Anna does and maybe that's confusing for people. But I like getting dressed and I've always been pretty consistent
in the way I dress and so I plan to continue.
The fact that that leans a bit towards if Katherine Hepburn with the librarian is just something people are going to have to deal with.
TASHJIAN: Did someone say that?
MALLE: No, but I like that.
TASHJIAN: OK.
MALLE: It's my dream.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Joining us live now with her conversation with Chloe, as well as the highlights of last night's Met Gala is CNN senior style reporter Rachel
Tashjian. Rachel, thank you so much for being with us.
TASHJIAN: Thanks for having me.
ASHER: I love your conversation. Of course, I love your conversation with Chloe because she was so honest. And I do have Google alerts for mine. You
never hear celebrities say that.
But just in terms of last night, I mean the theme was costume is art and just sort of trying to reinterpret art as fashion. Explain to us what were
the highlights.
You know, I -- I always wonder who are going to be the biggest risk-takers, right, for -- for the Met. Take us through it.
TASHJIAN: Of course. Well, I think with this, you know, theme that fashion is art, we expected and we received quite a number of looks that were very
literal interpretations of works of art, people dressed as statues, people dressed as various figures from famous paintings and -- and other kinds of
works of art.
And so, I mean, it was, in many ways, a kind of extravagant and campy evening. But there were also a lot of moments of I think some of these
attendees maybe sort of reading the room and understanding that there was some controversy this year, particularly around the sponsorship of Lauren
Sanchez Bezos and her husband Jeff Bezos and wanting to look a little more understated, you know.
I mean, the people who looked really fabulous like Coleman Domingo is someone who thinks about costume as role playing and embodying a character.
GOLODRYGA: Rachel, I think every year, when we tune in to see what everyone is wearing, there's always this question of, A, are they keeping up with
the theme? And what kind of risks are too big of a risk to take? And who is being more, you know, conscious about not taking those risks?
The big question is who got it right? Who in your view this year got it right?
TASHJIAN: Well, I mean, I guess to me, the big sort of question hanging over the evening is whether or not Lauren Sanchez Bezos got it right.
Right?
I mean, you know, she's wearing a dress that is inspired, of course, by a work of art. It's an homage by Schiaparelli to the painting Madam X by John
Singer Sargent, which depicted a very controversial socialite from the late 19th century.
So, here we have Lauren is making reference, of course, to another, you know, woman in an -- in an aristocratic position who is somewhat
scandalous.
And so the question is, OK, is she sort of winking at the public perception of herself? Or is she perhaps, you know, making a tone deaf statement with
this dress and -- and sort of indulging in some of our anxieties and fears about what this event might represent this year.
ASHER: You know, I'm always curious how much of a collaboration, the sort of fashion pieces are between the designers. I mean, because obviously this
is really about the designers, not so much the celebrities, although it's about both.
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But how much of a collaboration is there between the designers and the celebrities? I imagine there's just sort of a lot of back and forth, a lot
of emails, a lot of drawings and depictions that get sort of sent back and forth via email and, you know, conference calls and that kind of thing.
Just take us through the process behind the scenes.
TASHJIAN: Of course, I mean, for many people, this is the most important thing they will wear for the entire year. And for people who don't go every
year, this could be the most important thing they wear in their whole life.
So, you know, there is a lot of conversation and collaboration with designers. And this is really a moment where, you know, at an awards show,
you might want to look somewhat tasteful. You might want to look kind of conservative.
But this is a moment where I think celebrities and designers really work together to express something super creative and very exuberant.
I mean, I love, for example, what Sabrina Carpenter wore, this Dior dress that is made of film strips of the film "Sabrina." So, kind of a meta, you
know, slightly funny way of her looking elegant while also expressing something about her own approach to fame.
And, of course, we see this wonderful bubble dress here worn by Eileen Gu by the designer Iris van Herpen. I mean, something like that obviously does
not happen overnight. And almost all of these dresses are pieces that are one of a kind and may even perhaps end up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
at some point.
GOLODRYGA: You know, I have to say, I loved Anne Hathaway's look. And I just happened to see the "Devil Wears Prada II" on Friday. And so much of
the theme now, I think, applies to this passing the baton, the next generation, of who's going to be overseeing Vogue.
And obviously, the Met Gala, a lot of pressure on Chloe, big shoes to fill. But the industry has changed enormously too.
So, what are some of the things you're going to be looking out for her first few years in the job?
TASHJIAN: Well, I think it's pretty clear why Anna Wintour chose her as her successor. You know, I think many of us expected a sort of Anna 2.0,
someone who might have, you know, a sort of stoic or cold presence.
But Chloe strikes quite a different sort of character, as you can see in our interview. And she's someone who's very digitally savvy. You know, she
was the editor of Vogue's website before she, of course, took the reins of American Vogue. And she was the person who profiled Lauren Sanchez two
years ago for the magazine and brought her into the Vogue universe.
So, I think she's very journalistically aware. And she's someone who's very aware that conversations about fashion are happening primarily online.
ASHER: All right. Rachel Tashjian, thank you so much for that.
TASHJIAN: Thank you for having me.
ASHER: Thank you. Of course.
GOLODRYGA: Great to have you here at CNN.
All right. That does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. Bianna will be back in about 15 minutes with "Amanpour."
"African Voices" is up next. You're watching CNN.
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