On May 6th, 2024, fashion’s biggest night took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City: The Met Gala. Although the event’s purpose is to fundraise for the costume department of the museum, the event is widely known for its exclusive celebrity appearances and designer outfits. Throughout the night, various celebrities partner up with luxury designers to wear and support their business while strutting down the red carpet. Guests are required to follow a specific theme decided by the institute’s chief curator, president, director and Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. While the theme changes annually, this year’s the theme was “Garden of Time.” Designers were expected to create extravagant pieces reminiscent of an enchanted garden or fairy tale. All apparel, decorations, and even foods served to guests are required to follow this theme. According to Anna Wintour, “Everything is in the details. We plan these exhibitions in the evening so far in advance.”
While fashion is the main focus of the event, celebrity appearances are also highly anticipated. The MET Gala is known for being an outlet for celebrity publicity, including gossip and statements, both political and personal. However, the event is strictly invite-only. The Gala’s co-chairs work closely with Vogue’s current editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, to create the guest list. While the invite is completely free, the tickets aren’t. This year, the cost of entry was reportedly $75,000. Regardless, many celebrities still manage to attend the event for free due to invitations from design houses. Design houses will often invite certain celebrities they are willing to host to come and bring attention to their house at no cost.
Every year, there are plenty of new, innovative looks intended to catch the public eye. These iconic moments are what make this event so popular among the common people. This year, Zendaya, an American actress and singer, had two drastic outfit changes and surprisingly bought her second dress to support the designer. Tyla, a South African singer and songwriter, wore a dress completely made of Balmain sand. The dress was so fragile, the singer had to be carried up the stairs. Rosalia, a famed Spanish singer, songwriter and producer, wore a dress that took the designers 1800 hours to make. Doja Cat, an American rapper, singer, and songwriter, wore an oversized shirt dress completely drenched in hair gel to give it a “wet look.”
After celebrities walk the red carpet, they walk up a flight of stairs that leads to the inside of the museum. Inside, there is a full-blown party consisting of food, drinks and music. Celebrities typically mingle amongst themselves and admire artwork and decorations placed throughout the building. This year, the event was catered by Oliver Cheng, who created a menu (with the help of the MET Gala co-chairs) according to the theme. Guests were served spring salads as appetizers, fillets with tortellini roses as entrees, and a caramelized apple for dessert. The event also features a guest singer. This year, Ariana Grande performed a seven-song set, which included a duet with British actor and singer Cynthia Erivo.
The MET Gala will forever be iconic for its extravagant designs, decor, and guest list. We can only wait and see what creative wonders the Met Gala will bring us next year!
