The Met Gala, short for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala, is one of the most glamorous events in the fashion industry. If you hear the name you might think about the endless stairs or the extravagant outfits. But it hasn’t always been an event about fashion.
It was first founded by the publicist Eleanor Lambert as a way to raise funds for the Costume Institute, which is a collection of more than 35,000 costumes and accessories. In its early years, the event was attended primarily by New York’s high society with tickets that cost $50. In 1995, when Anna Wintour arrived as co-chair of the Met Gala, everything changed. She was able to attract A-list celebrities, which caused the gala to transform to what we know today.
Nowadays, the Met Gala is merely attended by high-class celebrities. Anna Wintour sends out invitations to people she thinks will benefit the gala’s reputation every year. If someone that wasn’t invited still wanted to go, they will have to pay up to $75,000. She also introduced the themed exhibition, which is curated by the Costume Institute and serves as the theme of the whole event.
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Since then, each Met Gala has been centered around a specific theme, ranging from “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” to “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” These themes not only inspire the pieces worn by guests but also vary the design of the exhibition each year.
In recent years, the Met Gala has continued to push the boundaries of fashion, creativity and self-expression. And one thing is for certain : it will continue to serve as inspiration for generations of fashion enthusiasts.
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by Parzer Melanie, 6ck
English School Newspaper 