The Met Gala is defined as an annual fundraising event hosted by the Costume Institute of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The event dates back to 1948, originally a more intimate gathering in honor of the opening of the annual exhibit as well as garnering support for the newly-founded Costume Institute. Over time The Met Gala has grown in the hands of prominent figures in the fashion industry who pioneered, the designers behind the attire. and numerous style icons, hence being fondly referred to as “fashion’s biggest night out.” The event is one of the most striking and notable in the industry to the general public next to some of the most iconic such as fashion week. The Met Gala has contributed to fashion being viewed, appreciated, and supported as the rightful applied art form it is in the eyes of many unlike ever before. As fashion captures history, identity, and culture tangibly.
The event, initially a soiree of support, was founded by Eleanor Lambert who saw the newly launched Costume Institute branch was in need of funding, hence she decided on a simple and exclusive event that could harmoniously fit into the charitable calendar. The founder of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and New York Fashion Week viewed fashion as an art, but this was not a common thought of her time. She believed that fashion should be upheld in a similar manner as other legendary arts such as painting, sculpting, and music. Setting out to make this appreciated, she was a pioneer who would make fashion able to be displayed and enjoyed in the modern age, but it was not an easy task as it would require the time, energy, and funding of many. With her background as a publicist and being a part of Elite society, she used her status and skill set to go beyond herself. The tickets at this point in time were $50 which in present times would be roughly $500 today for perspective. The venue would differ keeping interested and was held in the Rainbow Room, Central Park, and Waldorf-Astoria. The event laid the foundation and the attendees made history while aiding the Costume Institute’s life for years to come.
The well-known tradition of dressing to a theme came to be under the eye of Vogue’s former editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland who took on the new creative venture in 1972. At this point in time, the Met Gala known as the “Met Ball” transformed into one that we are more familiar with today. Vreeland was striving for a new creative pursuit to channel her artistic spirit and love for avant-garde indulgences. The themed parties in the Met basement were where the exhibition would go on to be staged. Guests would arrive in their best attire to descend into a stylish world in the likeness of the theme which would range from concepts such as “Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design” and “Diaghilev: Costumes and Designs of the Ballets Russes” to a celebration of designers such as “ The World of Balenciaga” in respect of his innovative technical work, construction, and application of style that revolutionized womenswear in the mid 20th century as well as “Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of Design.” in 1983 the first retrospective and one of the few to have ever had work showcased while alive due to his impact on fashion. “The master of the streets of the world,” stated Diana Vreeland.
It was dubbed the “Party of the Year” and many coveted a spot on the guest list, which was now realistic as consultant Vreeland allowed for the tickets to be sold for $100, making the Met Ball more accessible. In 1981, a museum official stated to The New York Times Magazine 1981, “She gives visibility to the Costume Institute no money could buy.” The attendees were now ranging from guests such as Bianca Jagger, Andy Warhol, Elton John, and Diana Rosse to the elite of the city and fashion industry personnel as well as even students. With guests from all walks of life, the general public began to accumulate interest in the alluring and fashionable event. The fashion industry, art, and social world were completely enamored.
Signifying a long-lasting relationship with Vogue and upholding the heart of the Met Ball, Vreeland worked until the end of her life in 1989, but her work continued to make an impact until 1994 without the chairwoman in hand with the glamorous spirit that the 90s would usher in.
In 1995, Anna Wintour, a Met Trustee and the artistic director of Conde Nast, and editor-in-chief of Vogue, kept the integrity of the Met Gala’s spirit, aesthetic, and intent intact. Her two changes were to establish a new date over a cold winter in December she decides on a warm spring in May and to create a more sophisticated aura surrounding the event through Vogue’s everlasting and dedicated network. A source with the Hollywood reporter revealed the process of the guest and fashion curation stating, “Vogue brings the designers’ clothes up to the magazine They lay it all out and then they pair celebrities with the designers and their gowns. The level of control is amazing. The invasion of Baghdad was nothing compared to this. If Michael Kors is coming, Anna is deciding which celebrity will wear Michael Kors and which Michael Kors outfit the celebrity will wear.”
The event was now not just a dinner or a glamorous party, but an event became a purely sartorial world through her creative vision which elevated the event to advance in longevity by not only popularity but also the ability to support the Costume Institute- the true meaning of the event in a as pretty as a picture manner that holds the essence of the theme. Themes under Wintour carried the same tone as the precedent set, conceptual takes such as “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” an examination of the punk culture infiltrating high fashion in the 1970s and carrying on its presence in the modern age. The Met showcased the visual language of punk through haute couture and ready-to-wear. merging the attitude and looks of the subculture into garments that invaded the mainstream to shock many at a time when fashion was deemed a very pretty, soft topic.
“The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion” is a celebration of past icons such as Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Twify, etc that sported and breathed life into the ever-changing face of fashion while inspiring the most impactful designers that shaped the world. The met gala themes also will partake in the act of honoring great designers such as in “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” and “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between. “ In present-day 2021, the exhibition is noted to “establish a modern vocabulary of American fashion based on its expressive qualities. through a two-part exhibition with a focus on American fashion. Part one is- “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” and part two: is “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” A celebration of American fashion from the 1940s, the decade of the Met Gala’s founding to today that captures the stylish landscape of America over time through visually captured emotional qualities of the American spirit such as strength, nostalgia, and affinity.
Attendees’ ensembles ranged from the hearts of classic American designers, such as LaQuan Smith in a Tom Ford suit and Joan Smalls in a Ralph Lauren gown to conceptual takes and a more interpretive lens of style to execute this theme such as Kim Kardashian in Balenciaga embodying her impact on American culture through the beauty of silhouette and Billie Eilish’s tribute to Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly, but with inspiration from holiday barbies to capture that experience of American youth.
Kaia Gerber paid tribute to Bianca Jagger’s look of 1981 who originally supported Dior, with a dress designed by Oscar de la Renta. It was an elegant, minimal, and chic look that held in high regard Bianca’s aura in a modern age through the custom black faille strapless gown. The vines of ivy on the top of the bodice directly mirror the embroidery of the original in a cutout motif that gives a subtle moment of delicacy not so overtly. The ensemble was finished off with an Omega timepiece and jewelry with a vintage tone. It’s a much more down-to-earth and understated look that asserts style with quiet, sophisticated confidence.
Kendall Jenner’s attire was also a homage, but not to an actor- rather a character: Audrey Hepburn’s most iconic role Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, a 1964 American musical comedy-drama film. The base of this Givenchy gown is sheer and built outward with intricate patterns of embellishment for visual depth and to create leading lines around the look, by the fishtail train to draw the eye up and the choker to add a focal point to showcase the face. These same techniques were often applied to Audrey Hepburn, the house’s most notable muse in the fashion industry and beyond.
As we can see, the Met Gala throughout the years has undergone a great evolution without losing touch of the past, but bringing the heart and love of fashion into the future for all to enjoy as the founder set out to do. The prominent figures of the fashion industry and numerous style idols transformed the event into the one we know today as well as the impact it held on fashion being viewed as art with great value in the eyes of many unlike ever before. The Met Gala supports the Costume Institute’s mission, “seeking to develop a deeper understanding of fashion amongst the public and to explore its artistic and historical significance. Our aim is to study and exhibit fashion as an art form – to highlight the craftsmanship, the technical expertise, as well as the ideas and concepts behind it.”
SOURCES: Met Gala 2021 Themes- https://www.metmuseum.org/press/exhibitions/2021/costume-institute-in-america
Complete Looks of the Met Gala- https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/met-gala-2021-red-carpet-live-celebrity-fashion
Hollywood Reporter quote- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/met-gala-guest-list-crackdown-696448/
Met Gala History- https://irishtatler.com/fashion/met-gala-history
Tracing “Fashion’s Biggest Night” – https://www.eonline.com/news/1145493/tracing-the-evolution-of-the-met-gala-from-a-50-charity-dinner-to-fashion-s-biggest-night
Met Gala Definition- https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/met-gala/
2021 Exhibition Overview- https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2021/in-america
Costume Institue Mission Statement- https://www.amexessentials.com/art-fashion-met-costume-institute/#:~:text=The%20Costume%20Institute%20is%20seeking,ideas%20and%20concepts%20behind%20it.
Hollywood Icons Met Gala- https://www.insider.com/met-gala-celebrities-who-dressed-like-hollywood-icons-2021-9#kendall-jenner-wore-a-more-daring-version-of-a-dress-audrey-hepburn-wore-in-my-fair-lady-3
Footage via The Met, ET, 4NewYork, The First Monday in May, YG Family, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar UK
Met Gala- https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/rei-kawakubo
Met Gala Themes- https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/g27307723/30-met-galas-most-unforgettable-themes/
