The first Monday of May will soon be upon us and fashionistas around the globe are eagerly awaiting the annual celebration of the Costume Institution’s upcoming expedition. Recently announced, the spring 2023 exhibition theme will be ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’, paying tribute to the legendary designer who sadly passed away in 2019, aged 85, honouring his long-lasting contributions to the fashion industry and celebrating his legacy… Fashion trend followers have already set their predictions about what to interpret from the theme, but as the countdown is on for the biggest fashion event of the year. The following blog post will provide a historic overview of the Met Gala and its significance for the fashion industry today…
The Met Gala as we know it today is one of the biggest events for fashion, celebrities and pop culture. Hosted on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the star-studded dramatic costume-filled night acts as an annual celebration of fashion. But how did the Met Gala begin?
Established in 1948 by Eleanor Lambert, a fashion publicist who began the legacy of the Met Gala, or formerly known as the Costume Institute Gala or the Costume Institute Benefit, as a means to fundraise for the Costume Institute and mark the opening of its annual exhibit. Lambert is famously known for being the founder of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which she later established in 1962. For the first few decades of the Galas' annual existence, it was considered a simple fundraising event for New York charitable institutions.
The first-ever Met Gala event was held as a midnight dinner with tickets priced as 50$ each. From the year of its founding until 1971, the Met Gala was held in venues like Central Park, the Rainbow Room and the Waldorf Astoria.
Met Gala formal dinner party in 1985
In 1972, the Met Gala transitioned into a more glamorous affair without leaving its charitable purposes behind, when Diana Vreeland was positioned as the consultant to the Costume Institute. It was at this period of time when the events guest list started to grow and attracted the recognition of many A-class celebrities such as Elton John, Diana Ross, and Cher and even had luminaries such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Pat Buckley serving as co-chairs. From the 1970s going into the 1980s, the price of admission was reportedly still less than $1,000. By 1998, the price of a single ticket increased to $2,000. Three years later, it increased to $3,500. Vreeland also introduced the concept of themes to the annual fashion event, transforming once a simple charity event into the party of the year.
Raquel Welch, Diane von Furstenberg and Diana Ross at the 1981 Met Gala.
1995 was the year that the artistic director of Condé Nast, editor-in-chief of Vogue and the Met Trustee, Anna Wintour, became the co-chair of the event. Wintour’s credibility and upper-class status have allowed her to platform the event into one of the most visible and successful fundraisers in the world, and under Wintour’s careful curation, the exclusive guest list and decor curation for the Met gala has embraced popular culture and celebrities. With individual tickets priced at $35,000 each and tables priced at $250,000 in 2022, it is no shadow of a doubt that only the Hollywood elite can afford tickets for the 3-hour event.
Some of the most interesting themes through the years include 2004’s ‘Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century’, 2006’s’ AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion’ and 2008’s ‘Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy’. In recent years, ‘Punk: Chaos to Couture’ in 2013, 2015’s ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’ and 2016’s ‘Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology‘. Not only have the fashion choices at the Met Gala changed over the years, but the interior design and architecture have continued to become more and more elaborate, often attempting to top itself from the year previous.
The Met Gala is a highly publicised event that takes a year to prepare for, therefore organisers must ensure that the night is conducted smoothly. Invite-only stars and celebrities arrive at the steps of the Met during cocktail hour, where guests make an appearance on the red carpet to be met by many fashion critics and hundreds of paparazzi eager to capture the extreme entrance and outfit reveals. Post-photoshoot, guests and their partnered designers tour the themes exhibit and enter the exclusive dinner party, to be entertained by celebrity performances. The night is just as important for the invited celebrity as it is for the many luxury brands and individual labels that showcase their work at the event. Every annual chosen theme is chosen to portray a period of fashion, re-establishing and setting future trends. Some of the most significant a-list celebrities who have annually attended the Met Gala are: Kim Kardashian, Zendaya, Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid, Madonna, Katy Perry, Harry Styles and Shaun Mendes.
The Met Gala will be live-streamed online on Vogue's website and YouTube channel for viewers to be able to see the action. Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, Roger Federer, and Dua Lipa will join Anna Wintour to host the ball this year.
But while we anxiously wait for Monday night to come around, let's take a walk through memory lane at some of the best Met Gala looks in history.
Cher: Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design, 1974
Cher's Bob Mackie dress for the 1974 Met Gala has its own name (the Naked dress) and has been on the cover of TIME magazine. The dress was made out of souffle, a French fabric that was banned in the USA, which was then wet in order to stick to her body, hence giving it a naked look.
Jackie Onassis: Fashions of The Hapsburg Era, 1979
Jackie Onassis wore a classic black dress to the 1974 Met Gala. Her black, ruffled, strapless Valentino gown was fit for America's queen's official debut at the gala.
Princess Diana: Christian Dior, 1996
As expected at the Christian Dior themed 1996 Met Gala, Princess Diana wore a beautiful Dior gown. What was unexpected was the daring blue satin slip dress she showed up in, complete with black lace trim and a diamond and sapphire choker necklace.
Naomi Campbell: Haute Couture, 1995
Naomi Campbell's dazzling silver Versace dress at the 1995 Met Gala is another look that has stood the test of time, one that people circle back to when they reminisce on the era of the true supermodel. The strapless stress sparkled from every single angle, making Campbell look like a disco ball.
Blake Lively: Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, 2018
One of the most modern iconic Met Gala look of all time. Blake Lively, stunned in an ornate ruby Versace gown, compete with a beaded train and a jewelled corset that took a combined 600 hours to complete. The look was elevated even further by a gorgeous gold headpiece, making Lively look like a Venetian queen.
Let me know what some of your favourite Met Gala looks are and what you’re most looking forward to from 2023 Met Gala‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ event in the comments below.
Best,
Mia.
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