Stars cinema, fashion, music, sports, politics and social networks will climb the stairs of Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York, in the United States, on Monday night (6), for the most acclaimed event in fashion: the MET Gala.
Always held on the first Monday in May, the gala night aims to raise funds for the Met’s Costume Institute, the only department in the museum that needs to self-fund in addition to launching the annual spring exhibition. Last year, the party, organized by the world-renowned Vogue US editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, raised around US$22 million (R$111 million).
The most anticipated part of the event is the arrival of the guests — there are around 450, hand-picked — to the red carpet — although the carpet is not always that color — and the climb up the steps of the MET. Everything that happens behind the doors is an unknown and a popular fascination, as no phones are allowed.
The Garden of Time
Every year, the Met Gala has a different theme, usually tied to the upcoming exhibition. This year’s theme is “The Garden of Time”, inspired by JG Ballard’s 1962 short story of the same name, which takes place in a garden full of flowers that manipulate time. In 2023, the theme was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty“, in honor of the German designer, who died in 2019 and was creative director of the Chanel and Fendi brands.
But guests don’t always take the theme into consideration at the time of production and many opt for extravagant choices to stand out at the most photographed event in the world. This year, floral and vintage dresses can be expected.
Exhibition
This year, the event celebrates the opening of the exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” (Sleeping Beauties: The Awakening of Fashion”) which will be shown at the MET from May 10th to September 2nd.
The exhibition will feature approximately 250 rare items taken from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, according to Vogue. Spanning more than 400 years of fashion history, pieces will include designs from Schiaparelli, Dior, Givenchy and more. Some garments that are too fragile to be worn again – such as an 1877 Charles Frederick Worth ball gown – will also be displayed through video animation, light projection, Artificial Intelligence and other forms of sensory stimulation.
Hosts
Each year, different co-hosts are chosen for the event. This year’s party hosts will be Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth. Since attending her first Met in 2015, the Euphoria and Dune star has presented looks that will transform her into a fashion icon.
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