Every year, A-List celebrities, designers, and the fashion elite gather around on the first Monday of May to celebrate fashion’s biggest night of the year. From the look of this title and my brief description, your assumption of what I’m talking about should be the MET Gala. But what exactly is the MET and why should we care about it?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, otherwise known as the MET, is one of the largest museums of art in the world. Part of its appeal is related to the fact that it’s located in the middle of New York City and acts as a landmark and tourist spot. You may already be familiar with it thanks to the iconic teen show Gossip Girl and the characters frequently visiting its steps to have their cute lunches before school. Its relevance to us as society happens to be immense, seeing as it directly connects us to our past and acts as a navigating point for our future. Thanks to it we’re exposed to art that has never been seen or that we maybe didn’t know of until we visit it.
So then, what exactly does the MET Gala have to do with any of this?
        The Costume Institute Benefit, more commonly known as the MET Gala/MET Ball, is a yearly event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City each spring. It serves as a charity event for the museum and in return also directly correlates to whatever theme the exhibition might be. You might recall from past times that the gala has a distinct theme each year which is never repeated, from Heavenly Bodies to Camp: Notes on Fashion to America: An Anthology of Fashion, each one is unique and tries to best the last.
What will be the theme for this year?
        This year the theme will be Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, but what does it mean? From what we know the exhibit will focus on dormant dresses and forgotten fragile items and accessories spanning over the past 400 years or so. The theme also explores the need for sustainability in fashion and its endless cycle of creating and destroying. The exhibit will include 15 pieces that are too fragile to ever be worn again, along with contemporary work from designers like Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney and Conner Ives. Archival pieces from the likes of Elsa Schiaparelli, Ives Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy and many more will also be featured.
        As for the theme on the carpet it’s been revealed that the dress code will be “The Garden of Time”. What to expect for this? Lots of florals and nature related motifs, interpretations of life and death – a la circle of life – and of course, a deep appreciation and inspiration from forgotten works of art and fashion from over the past 4 centuries.
When is it going to be?
        As we already know, the MET is always held the first Monday of May, which means this year’s Gala will be on May 6th.
Who’s attending the ball?
We don’t know for sure who’s on the list since it has yet to be released to the public. But what we do know is who’s hosting the event this year. As always Anna Wintour, who happens to be the editor in chief of VOGUE magazine and every year coordinates and personally hand-picks the guest list of this event, will oversee the event, and as for her co-chairs it has been revealed that Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, J. Lo and Zendaya will host the event.
Where can we watch it?
Like the past few years, the MET Gala will be live streamed by VOGUE. So, be sure to check the live footage on the carpet through its websites. But, if you’re like me and oftentimes forget or don’t catch the whole event, be sure to check video coverage and commentary all over social media. I strongly encourage you to visit the YouTube channels of HauteLeMode, ModernGurlz and Mina Le since they will most likely discuss their takes on the event.