It all started as a lowkey fundraiser consisting of a simple dinner and tickets worth 50 dollars each, which is now one of the most highly anticipated, stylish, and exclusive events in the world.
The Met Gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City every year sees a throng of celebrities and highly influential people who attend this event to generate funding for the museum and to preserve its heritage.
Throughout the years, the Met Gala has provided us with crazy, ravishing, and over-the-top outfits, along with each and every conventional boundary being crossed. The attendees wear their favorite designers and try to put their own spin on the theme, which has resulted in some amazing (and well, not so amazing) costumes.
In 1981, Bianca Jagger made a bold statement in a black simple yet classy strapless dress and soft wavy curls, giving a perfect ode to that year’s theme: “ The Eighteenth Century Woman”. It at that time screamed what a powerful and independent woman looked like, and gave the word ‘elegant’ a new meaning.
If we are talking about bold choices, the Naomi Campbell in 1995 is not to be missed. With blonde highlights, a gorgeous shimmering dress and heels, she sure turned a lot of heads that evening.
Celebrities like Gisele Bundchen, Lucy Liu along with people like Oscar De La Renta and powerful politicians started to slowly give the “ simple fundraiser” a grand and snazzy audience.
The fashion in Met gala slowly started to evolve, from minimalistic yet statement worthy dresses to extravagant and flashy costumes.
The pressure and preparation, along with the creativity when it comes to interpreting the theme has constantly upped itself each year.
It is actually fascinating and intriguing to see what the combination of the best designers, along with influential people can come up with. Rihanna during the 2014 Met Gala, in her dazzling yellow robe and diamond headdress is a perfect example of how extra and bold outfits in the Met Gala can be while sticking to the theme at the same time.
Want to be an actual real-life princess? Zendaya has already done that with a flowy luminescent gown, real glass slippers, and her regal yet charismatic aura.
Jared Leto in 2019 ‘literally’ carried his own head, and gold studded Billy Porter was carried by six men in a proper Egyptian manner the same year.
Looks of people like Blake Lively, Kendall Jenner, Harry Styles, and many others have constantly been talked about and critiqued, inspiring many trends and dresses.
What I personally love about the Met Gala is that there are absolutely no restrictions, absolutely no inhibitions and we get to see celebrities showcase themselves in a way that we might not have seen them in otherwise. It screams boldness, freedom, and confidence, with the shackles of traditional and soft fashion being broken.
The Met stairs have witnessed history in terms of fashion. With a line of photographers on both sides and flashes everywhere, it is a one-of-a-kind moment even for celebrities. From couple debuts to twenty-foot gowns, from friendships to a night of fun, from making meaningful connections to expressing yourself truly, it is true that the Met Gala was and always will be a distinct starry affair in itself.