The BIGGEST FASHION NIGHT, the annual Met Gala is back. Honestly, the looks at Met Gala are to die for. The event kicked off on May 1, 6:30 Eastern Time (around 4 am on Tuesday in IST) which means as soon as we woke up our social media was filled with celebrities SERVING with their looks! Well before we dwell into the pool of judging the celebrities’ outfits spanning from gorgeous to hideous, inspired to inexplicable, let us walk through what exactly is the Met Gala and does it goes beyond couture and costumes. 

Met Gala Who?

So the infamous Met Gala is an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City and it mostly takes place on the first Monday in May. In essence, the Costume Institute is the only wing of the Met Museum that requires to self-fund itself, and it does so magnificently through the one annual party it hosts. Only a select group of famous people from various fields are invited to the party each year, which is strictly invitation-only. The theme chosen for the year, which also serves as the theme for that year’s Costume Institute exhibition, is also the vibe according to which the guests are expected to dress up.

This time around 400 people were invited and the theme was ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,’ which is a tribute to Lagerfeld, the legendary fashion designer. He apart from his fashion line has also worked for the likes of Chanel and Fendi. As we know that the Met Gala is for raising money for the costume institute, people push the limits of fashion and creativity to slay and also bless the internet. 

How does Met Gala raise money?

Each year, the success of the Gala is supported by a number of sponsors. According to the Met, Chanel is the main sponsor this year, with support from Fendi, Condé Nast, and Lagerfeld’s own collection. The event further raises money by selling astronomically expensive tickets and tables. The NYT reported that this year’s tickets cost $50,000, with tables starting at $300,000. Big brands and fashion houses typically purchase the tables. According to the NYT, the event last year raised around  $17.4 million.

All this is fine but why is it such a big deal?

Well, the Met Gala was not always a high-profile event like it is now. It began in the year 1948 when Elenor Lambert, a fashion publicist, decided to invite New York’s high society for a fundraising dinner and the tickets were priced at just $50. Then in 1972, by inviting prominent and glitzy guests along with following the practice of annual themes, fashion columnist Diana Vreeland, who had previously worked as a consultant for the Costume Institute, helped the Gala gain recognition outside of its confines as a New York City event.

Additionally, it is believed by many that the Gala has attained its current status due to the sparkle sprinkled by Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Vogue and Global Chief Content Officer for Condé Nast. A Met Gala invitation is a highly sought-after status symbol since Wintour, who has been in charge of organising the event since 1999, personally selects the guest list, which includes the crème de la crème in the fields of fashion, politics, sports, technology, and other fields. For instance, even the designers who purchase a table may invite their own friends, but Wintour and Vogue must first approve the list. Also, Wintour is famously known for saying that she would never invite Donald Trump to the Met Gala again.

Well, if we talk about this year, then honestly celebrities’ looks are just giving! From Dua Lipa to Rihana to Anne Hathway to Kardashian and Jenners to Cardi B to Anna Wintour and British actor Bill Nighy everyone slayed. Also this time the Indians who are attending the Gala include Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra. Now let us get back and start scrolling through Instagram for giving a treat to our eyes with Met Gala Looks!