The Met Gala, also known as the Costume Institute Gala, is an annual event that aims to raise funds for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which takes place in said museum in New York. It is considered one of the most important social events in the fashion and entertainment industries. It takes place on the first Monday of May, kicking off the annual fashion exhibition that receives millions of visitors until mid-September.
Considered the Oscars of fashion, the Met Gala has a specific theme each year. The attendees are designers, businessmen, celebrities, and fashion personalities, and all must respect the dress code, with outfits that are related to each year’s theme, which is decided by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and has been since 1995.
Itinerary
As previously mentioned, the Met Gala takes place at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, located on the Upper East Side. First, guests walk the red carpet across the iconic steps of the museum. Then, they tour the exhibition. Finally, there is a sit-down dinner set to live music next to the Temple of Dendur, one of the many wonderful ancient structures displayed at the museum.
History
The event originated in 1948 as a gala dinner, and was under the direction of Eleanor Lambert. Since then, it has become one of the most important events in the fashion world and pop culture in general. Then came Diana Vreeland as a special consultant, from 1972 to 1989. She established it as a must-see celebration, with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Pat Buckley as co-chairs.
Guest List
It is Anna Wintour who is in charge of the Met Gala guest list, which has always been carefully curated by whoever chairs and organizes the gala. She is also current director of Vogue USA and director of global content for Condé Nast.
Tickets
If you are not on the guest list and would love to be there, you can attend the Met Gala by purchasing a ticket for $30,000 or an entire table for about $275,000.
Celebrities
The likes of Princess Diana, Cher, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Gianni Versace, Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga attended the most prolific Galas of all time.
The pandemic and the Met Gala
In 2020, due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York decided that the Met Gala would not take place and would instead hold a double event the following years, with the first date set for the 13th of September 2021, and another in May 2022. The theme for the 2021 Met Gala was a tribute to American fashion, which sought to reflect the evolution of its identity, as well as other deeper perspectives and was titled “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” The hosts were Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, and Naomi Osaka, and one of the standout guests that year was Maluma in a red Versace suit. While, in 2022, the theme was “Gilded Glamour,” a reference to the Gilded Age of the United States.
When was the 2023 Met Gala?
After experiencing an unusual period due to the pandemic, the Met Gala 2023 returned to normality and once again took place on the first Monday of May.
The 2023 Exhibition
This year’s exhibition is titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” and opened to the public on May 5, 2023. It examines the work of Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019), focusing on his stylistic vocabulary expressed in designs from the 1950s to his final collection in 2019. The exhibition consists of approximately 150 pieces, most of which are accompanied by their respective sketches, which allows us to appreciate his complex creative process and the collaborative relationships with his seamstresses.
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is considered one of the most influential designers of his time, an icon who is also known as the Kaiser of Fashion. He began as artistic director at Jean Patou, in addition to having led creative direction at Balmain, Chloé, Fendi, Chanel, and at his eponymous firm, Karl Lagerfeld. He passed away in Paris on February 19, 2019, at the age of 85.
Dress code at the 2023 Met Gala
Attendees were able to take exhibit their interpretation of the different stages of Karl Lagerfeld’s career in firms such as Chanel, Balmain, Chloé, Fendi, and the Lagerfeld house itself.
Co-presidents of the 2023 Met Gala
The hosts of this star-studded night, who were also charged with planning the entire event, were Anna Wintour herself, Michaela Coel, Penélope Cruz, Roger Federer, and Dua Lipa.
Featured Guests
Among the guests were Kim Kardashian, Cardi B, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Kendall Jenner, Lizzo, and Bad Bunny, but the showstopper of the night was Jared Leto, who was dressed (disguised) as Choupette, the kitten that was Lagerfeld’s great love and companion during the final years of his life.
For more on fashion, check out our 15 things you didn’t know about “the shoe king”, Manolo Blahnik.
