The Met Gala as we know it today is one of the biggest events for fashion, celebrities and pop culture.
But this night wasn’t always as star-studded and full of dramatic costumes as it is now. It first began as a charity event created by publisher Eleanor Lambert to raise funds for the then-fledgling Costume Institute.
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The event experienced a cultural shift with the appointment of Diana Vreeland as a consultant to the Costume Institute, the relocation of the Met Gala to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the addition of gala themes.
Now Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour manages the event, guest list and theme, working closely with the Met each year for the event. She’s also said to even approve of the designers worn by high-profile guests, rejecting guests chosen by the table sponsor in favor of others.
Here, WWD recaps everything you need to know about the history of the Met Gala. Scroll through for more.
How did the Met Gala begin?
The Met Gala was founded in 1948 by Lambert, a famous fashion publicist, to raise funds for the Costume Institute and celebrate the opening of the annual exhibition. Lambert is also known as the founder of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which he founded in 1962.
The Costume Institute, created by Irene Lewisohn and Aline Bernstein and originally called the Museum of Costume Art, merged with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1946.
The first Met Gala was a dinner held in December, and tickets cost $50. From its founding until 1971, the event was held not at the Met as it is today, but in venues such as Central Park, the Rainbow Room and the Waldorf Astoria.
What was the initial purpose of the Met Gala?
The event began as a fundraiser for the Costume Institute and served as the opening celebration of its annual exhibition. Following the Met Gala, the exhibition will remain at the museum for several months.
Today, the Met Gala is still known as one of the largest fundraising events in New York City. According to Forbes, the Met Gala raised more than $175 million for the Costume Institute. The event manages to raise plenty of funds every year, with a record $15 million reportedly raised in 2019.
When did the Met Gala become a more social event?
After Vreeland’s tenure as editor-in-chief of Vogue, the famed French-American fashion editor and columnist changed the cultural direction of the event by joining the Costume Institute as a consultant.
The event became more elaborate and celebrity-oriented during Vreeland’s time at the institute, as the guest list expanded to include the biggest stars of the time, including Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Elton John, Cher, Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, and more. , Halston, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Bianca Jagger among others.
The event began being held at the Met during Vreeland’s tenure and gala themes were introduced. Instead of turning it into a typical charity event, Vreeland turned it into more of a party.
With the 1978 addition of socialite Pat Buckley, who is married to conservative author William F. Buckley, the Met Gala cemented itself as one of the largest and most exclusive charity events on the social calendar.
How have costumes at the Met Gala become more extravagant over the years?
Under Vreeland, the Met Gala became more associated with popular culture and thus became an event that received widespread publicity and press coverage.
He introduced Gala themes, the first of which was “The World of Balenciaga” in 1973. Other exhibitions he worked on with the Met included “Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design,” “Vanity Fair: A Treasure Chest,” and “La Belle Époque.” ”among others.
The Met Gala became an event featuring more elaborate costume moments until 2004, when the theme was “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century.” Model-actress Amber Valletta, in particular, wore a Marie Antoinette-meets-punk rock look that year; The nude bodice by Maggie Norris Couture and the skirt by John Galliano were complemented by an 18th century hairstyle.
Over the years, there have also been exhibitions for specific designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace, Christian Dior, Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Schiaparelli, and Prada, among others.
Vreeland worked at the Met until his death in 1989.
Wintour took over as president in 1995 and oversaw the benefits and guest list, which was limited to about 650 to 700 people each year. It also changed the date of the Met Gala from December to the first Monday in May. In the past, the event has been a cocktail hour followed by dinner; In recent years, dinner has become more about hors d’oeuvres.
How have Met Gala ticket prices changed?
Over time, ticket prices have increased significantly, and the current price of a ticket is reportedly around $30,000.
From the 1970s to the 1980s, the entrance fee was reportedly still under $1,000. In 1998, the price of a single ticket increased to $2,000. Three years later it rose to $3,500.
By the 2010s, the Met Gala had become a more celebrity-filled event with the addition of current pop culture icons like Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Rihanna, the Hadid sisters, the Kardashian-Jenner clan, and more. As of 2016, single-person tickets cost $25,000, and a table for 10 people can be purchased for $250,000, according to a report from WWD.
Typically, designers buy the tables and fill them with celebrities they will dress for the event. However, each person on the guest list must be approved by the event’s president, Wintour. And he’s being selective; Wintour has numerous stories of a company who bought a table telling her that their intended guest wasn’t up to her standards and she placed other guests there instead (and the company still had to pay).
How is the Met Gala now?
Known as “Fashion’s Biggest Night” in popular culture, the Met Gala continues to be one of the biggest events in the fashion world today. But while in the past the evenings were considered the pinnacle of fashion elegance, in recent years they have become a platform for many celebrities to show off their uglier sides.
Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Madonna and many more celebrities attend this special event wearing special, elaborate costumes from some of the biggest fashion houses. Last year, Balenciaga dressed Kardashian and Rihanna, while Jenner and Hadid wore Givenchy and Prada, respectively.
In 2019, with the theme “Camp: Notes on Fashion”, show-stopping stars like Lady Gaga and Billy Porter managed to make history with their grand entrances; The former showed off on the red carpet in four different, fully designed outfits. By Brandon Maxwell, Porter arrived dressed as an Egyptian pharaoh in The Blonds outfit, even being carried across the carpet by six men.
The event has a strict no-social media policy in place, but some celebs still manage to sneak in a few photos. One of the favorite places for selfies in years past was the ladies’ room, where numerous designers (including men) and models would sneak in and grab a cigarette; until the Met took drastic action and banned the practice.
When is the 2024 Met Gala?
The 2024 Met Gala will take place on May 6 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This year, the Metropolitan Museum’s fashion exhibition is titled “Sleeping Beauties: The Reawakening of Fashion.” About 250 rare items will be on display at the Met’s Costume Institute, many of which are too fragile to be worn again. It was inspired by recent conversations in fashion around the manipulation of archival clothing.
This year’s Met Gala theme and subsequent dress code, “The Garden of Time,” was inspired by JG Ballard’s 1962 short story, which explores the concept of conservation using flowers as symbols of beauty, youth and innocence.
The co-chairs of the event change every year. This year, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth were chosen as co-chairs.
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