The Met Gala is an event that occurs on the first Monday of May each year. The event is held in celebration of the fashion on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Each year, celebrities flood the carpet outside the Met in their best outfits that reflect each year’s theme. Since the first Met Gala, it has become an annual event that attracts the eyes of anyone interested in fashion culture.
the beginning
Eleanor Lambert, a famous fashion publicist, founded the First Met Gala as a fundraiser for the Costumer Institute’s expenses. It was also to celebrate the opening of the Costumer Institutes exhibit. Even in the beginning, guests were required to wear their most extravagant gowns. The party was named “The Party of the Year.” The themed Met Gala parties did not appear until 1973.
the first themed met
The idea of a themed Met was created by Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland, who became a special consultant at the Costume Institute in 1972. The first themed Met Gala was in 1973 and was to honor CristĂłbal Balenciaga after his death a year earlier. Celebrities like Cher and former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy attended in their best gowns.
the met gala grows
Famous Vogue editor director Anna Wintour took over The Met Gala in 1995, and The Met Gala morphed into its true form. Famous names from film, sports, businesses and music all attended the gala in outfits that reflected the theme of that year. Some celebrities take the theme literally, like when Rihanna dressed as the Pope for the 2018 Heavenly Bodies Met Gala. While other celebrities outfits question the theme, like when Doja Cat dressed as a cat for the 2023 Karl Lagerfeld Met Gala.
what does this have to do with the exhibit?
The Met Gala serves as the main fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This museum preserves centuries of fashion history and high-profile outfits. Each spring a new exhibition is released around the same time as the Met Gala; this year the theme of the spring exhibition is Costume Art, which is also the theme of the Met Gala, with the dress code being defined as “Fashion Is Art”. This theme will show the relationship between the body and clothes and how they can connect, illustrating how fashion isn’t just clothes but a form of artistic expression.
high expectations for celebrities
Getting invited to the Met Gala is no small feat. You must be a star of the public eye, and each guest is hand-selected by Anna Wintour. This event isn’t free; it often costs around $350,000 to attend. Renowned brands like Prada or Gucci will secure a table at the Met Gala and then select celebrities that will attend the Met in their designs. Some celebrities are directly selected for a certain year because Anna Wintour believes that they can represent the Met’s theme the best. Getting invited once doesn’t guarantee you a permanent seat at the Met. If you disrespect the art shown at the Met, use your phone for social media, or ignore the Met theme, Anna Wintour will personally take your name off the invite list.
best dressed in the past
There have been plenty of shocking and gorgeous looks over the years and even some controversial looks, like when Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress at the 2022 Met Gala. Some of the most famous faces of Met Gala fashion include Zendaya, who wore Versace armor to represent Joan of Arc at the 2018 Met, Blake Lively, who wore a reversible dress that represented the Statue of Liberty at the 2022 Met Gala and Anok Yai who wore a blue shimmery Swarovski bodysuit.
the 2026 met gala
The 2026 Met Gala theme is Costume Art with a dress code of “Fashion is Art.” Co-chairs involved in this Met Gala include Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and of course, Anna Wintour. The guest list includes names like Sam Smith, Lisa, Misty Copeland, Kendall Jenner, Bad Bunny and many more. All those interested in pop culture and the fashion community look forward to Monday, May 4th, for fashion’s biggest night out.