Everything Met Gala
The Met Gala is hosted on the first Monday of May, but due to COVID-19 it has been canceled and moved up until September of this year. For most people, the Met Gala is simply a red carpet to display new fashion, but it is bigger than that. The Met is a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institution in New York. According to Insider, a ticket to the Met Gala after party is rumored to be $30,000 and that’s not even including the expenses of having a designer make a gown/costume.
Before we take a more in depth look at a Modern Met Gala, let’s look back at how it all started. Eleanor Lambert, a fashion publicist, creator of New York Fashion Week, and the Best Dressed List, is how the “Met Gala” was born. Originally the Met was more of a midnight supper that was held at different locations each year, but in 1948 this event became the party of the year for New York’s High Society. Editor in Chief of American Vogue, Diane Vreland made it what it is now. Not only did the event help raise funds for the Institute, but it also helped publicize the exhibition there. Diane was the one to have famous figures host the Met Gala and one of those hosts was Jacqueline Onassis (Former First-Lady), also known as Jackie O. Diane Verland had the bright idea to have the museum be the background for the event and with the help of Billy Baldwin, a famous decorator, they made it possible. After her passing, Pat Buckley, a socialite, took over the Gala. During her time as chair, Ms.Buckley made very pricey after party tickets for dessert and dancing. In 1995, Anna Wintor took over the Met, giving it the final touches to become the Met we now know.
When talking about the Met Gala, 2018’s “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” is impossible not to bring up. Many have deemed this theme to be one of the best. However, as iconic as it was, it was also controversial to many. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop guests like Jared Leto, who was dressed by Gucci. He wore a blue suit with a floral stole and the outfit was topped with a golden crown. Many said he resembled Jesus, but others did not like that affiliation. A very memorable outfit of the night would have to be Ariana Grande’s Vera Wang dress. Ariana wore a gown made up of prints from the Sistine Chapel and topped off the gown with a big flowy bow and her iconic high ponytail. Whether the 2018 Met theme is controversial or not, it will always be praised by many.
The 2020 Met Gala theme was “About Time: Fashion and Duration” but unfortunately due to COVID-19 the 2020 Met Gala was cancelled. Making the 2021 Met the first after a year of being postponed. The 2021 Met Gala theme will be “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”. It will focus on American fashion; many who watch the Met annually expect this theme to be very political very quickly. The chairmen for this year hope that guests will think out of the box other than red white and blue and with the events of 2020 onlookers are expecting political statements. The hosts for this year’s Met Gala are Timothee Chalamet, Billie Ellish, Amanda Gorman, and Naomi Osaka. This Met Gala theme will consist of two parts and it will continue into 2022.
Overall, many people are excited to see what their favorite celebrity has in store for this year’s Met. The Met Gala is an event that many look forward to watching every year. Will you be watching the Met this year?
