The “Met Gala,” held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institution, is a major annual event in the world of high fashion. It is a fundraiser that kicks off the spring exhibition at the Met, entitled “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” which will show from May 9 to September 8. The exclusive event draws celebrities of elite caliber and boasts one of the fashion world’s most important red carpets.
What happens at the Met Gala?
The details of what goes on inside the event are very secretive. Anna Wintour even placed a ban on selfies and posting to social media from inside the event. Generally, the guests will enjoy a cocktail hour, sit down for a formal dinner, view the exhibit and hear musical performances.
When is it?
The 2019 Met Gala will take place on Monday, May 6 with red carpet coverage beginning around 6 p.m. Vogue will be streaming the arrivals of stars from the film, fashion, music and art industries via social media while reporting on the details of their outfits.
Who are this year’s co-chairs?
Anna Wintour, US Vogue editor-in-chief since 1988, has been a chairwoman of the event since 1995. She selects public figures as her co-chairs. For 2019, the event will also be chaired by singer-actress-powerhouse Lady Gaga, Gucci designer Alessandro Michele, singer-actor-style-icon Harry Styles, and tennis world champion Serena Williams.
What’s up with the theme?
The theme was inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on Camp.” The concept of what is “Camp” taste can be hard to understand. A selection of quotes from her essay explains the gist of it: “It is one way of seeing the world as an aesthetic phenomenon….It goes without saying that the Camp sensibility is disengaged, depoliticized — or at least apolitical… Camp responds particularly to the markedly attenuated and to the strongly exaggerated…Camp is the triumph of the epicene style…The hallmark of Camp is the spirit of extravagance. Camp is a woman walking around in a dress made of three million feathers…Camp is art that proposes itself seriously, but cannot be taken altogether seriously because it is ‘too much.’” (Think Jeremy Scott, Viktor & Rolf, Schiaparelli, and Rei Kawakubo.) To read more on the Costume Institute’s idea of Camp, visit Vogue.
Get ready to be starstruck by all the celebrities and see them dressed in dreamy, over-the-top fashion on Monday!
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