The Met Gala has become one of the biggest and most anticipated fashion events of the year. Numerous celebrities and public figures appear on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and dress according to the theme of the year. Ahead of this year’s event, which as always takes place on the first Monday in May, FashionUnited has put together everything you need to know to get in the mood.
What is this year’s theme?
This year’s dress code, “The Garden of Time,” is inspired by JG Ballard’s short story of the same name, a dystopian novel about a couple living a decadent lifestyle that they eventually have to put an end to.
The dress code gives guests plenty of leeway, both literally and figuratively, and it fits seamlessly into the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s concurrent exhibition, “Sleeping Beauty: Reawakening Fashion.” The exhibition features 250 historically significant pieces that are considered too fragile to be worn again. The exhibition, which can be seen until September 2, 2024, deals with the concepts of rebirth and renewal and uses nature as a metaphor for the transience of fashion.
Who are the co-organizers? What is their role?
For each edition, a selection of celebrities take on the role of co-hosts alongside Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, who has led the gala since 1995. This year, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya are among the stylish co-hosts, although the latter two have already caused a stir in previous years.
The quartet is responsible for selecting the theme, guest list, food and decorations, and assists with fundraising, advertising and public relations before and during the event. They will be welcoming guests on the red carpet at the start of the evening, and although this has not been confirmed for this year, it is known that some previous co-hosts will also be taking the stage later.
Who will be present?
The annual guest list for the Met Gala is usually kept top secret in the run-up to the event, but sometimes a suspected guest list is leaked in advance, although it is often not confirmation of a star’s presence. Names speculated to appear this year include actresses Margot Robbie and Jenna Ortega, as well as singers Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift. The alleged men include actors Cillian Murphy, Pedro Pascal, Tom Holland and Jeremy Allen White, as well as K-pop star Kim Taehyung from the band BTS.
There are also a number of regulars who can typically be expected, including members of the Kardashian clan, popular Vogue host Emma Chamberlain, Rihanna and model siblings Gigi and Bella Hadid.
What is the Met Gala?
While at first glance it may seem like the gala is just an opportunity for celebrities to dress up, it’s actually an annual charity event for the museum that reportedly raises millions for the Costume Institute . Tickets cost around $35,000 each and tables range from $200,000 to $300,000.
The elaborate themes prepared for guests are one of the reasons why such an impressive number of world stars, celebrities and celebrities choose to take part. Each of them is tasked with interpreting the dress code in their own way, making the event a perfect opportunity to push their fashion sense to the limit.
How did this event come about?
The Met Gala began in 1948, when fashion journalist Eleanor Lambert created the concept as part of an initiative to raise money for the then newly formed Costume Institute. The first event, advertised as the “Party of the Year”, took the form of a dinner, with prices starting at $50 per person. In the early 1970s, former Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland took on the role of consultant to the Costume Institute and began transforming the gala, introducing new galleries to the format and adapting themes to coincide with the exhibitions taking place at the same time. Vreeland was also the first to introduce a celebrity guest list, an idea that was only reinforced when Anna Wintour took over as chair in 1995.
What topics were there already?
Last year, tributes were paid to the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, who headlined the Met’s exhibition that year, after other designers including Gianni Versace, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior also took the spotlight on the gala steps. But as this year’s dress code shows, it’s usually not just one person who takes center stage. Rather, the dress codes and exhibitions usually reflect an iconic movement in fashion.
Memorable themes included 2006’s Anglomania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion, 2013’s Punk: Chaos to Couture, 2015’s China: Through the Looking Glass, and 2015’s Heavenly Bodies ) 2016: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” where Rihanna stole the show in a headpiece, cape and bodysuit combination by John Galliano.
What were some of the best and most controversial looks of the past?
It wasn’t just this look that secured Rihanna’s place at the top of the gala’s most anticipated guests and earned her a reputation for always nailing the theme. Since becoming a regular, the singer has presented extraordinary looks every year – her flowing Guo Pei cape in 2015 and the Comme des Garçons look in 2017 are just a few of them. However, she is not the only participant who caused a sensation.
Actress Zendaya is also known for her theatrical performances, which she made in a beautiful floral dress by Dolce & Gabbana in 2017, in armor by Versace in 2018, and in a magical, luminous Cinderella look by Tommy Hilfiger in 2019. Such enactments are a regular feature of performances by other guests, including Jared Leto, who, when not acting as Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, appears in a Gucci robe while holding his own severed head. Another contestant turning heads is Lady Gaga, who walked the steps to the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme in 2019, dramatically ditching a series of Brandon Maxwell looks.
Others lean more towards the controversial side. Kim Kardashian, for example, has already caused a stir or two. In 2019, the reality star appeared alongside her then-husband Kanye West in an hourglass look by Mugler that gave her the appearance of an impossible tiny waist. In 2021 she was seen again alongside West in a black garment from Balenciaga that was reminiscent of a morphsuit, in which she was hardly recognizable apart from her curvy silhouette, and in 2022 Kardashian also caused a stir when she wore a dress , once worn by Marilyn Monroe, walked the carpet and sparked heated debates online about the condition of the iconic dress.
Other famous looks include Dita von Teese’s Zac Posen bodycon dress from 2014, Sarah Jessica Parker’s tartan punk look that she wore hand in hand with designer Alexander McQueen in 2006, Princess Diana’s classic Dior dress for the event, among others in 1996 and model Naomi Campbell’s dazzling Versace dress in 1995.
This translated post previously appeared on FashionUnited.com
