Ahh, it’s that time of the year. The Monday where we take a seat in front of our computers and have our social media ready to critique, judge, but more often than not fall in love with the Met Gala ensembles.
It seems to creep up on us everywhere. We all know there’s the red carpet of celebrities who show off some absolutely GORGEOUS pieces, some questionable one too, and some that we’re left sitting on the fence about.
But, do you know what the Met Gala is actually about? Why is the event held annually and how can we be a part of it?
Here’s all the details you need ⬇️
What even is the Met Gala?:
The Meta Gala, held annually on the first Monday of May, is a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Musem of Art’s Costume Institute.
We’ll forgive you if you had no idea the event is in fact, to raise money, considering all we care about are the celebrities in attendance and what glamourous outfits they’re arriving in.
The Met Gala has been traditionally held to coincide the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibition and has raised eight-figure sums yearly.
When is this year’s Met Gala?:
This year’s Met Gala is on Monday, May 6.
How long has the Met Gala been happening for?:
The Met Gala was founded in 1948 by its founder, Lambert, a fashion publicist, with a goal to fundraise for the Costume Institute and mark the opening of the annual gallery. So in this regard, nothing has changed.
So, how much will we need to save to one day attend the Met Gala?:
We said the reason for holding the Met Gala hadn’t changed, but one thing that has: the price of the tickets.
The first Met Gala was held in Decemeber, with tickets sold for $50.
Today, a ticket is reportedly $30,000. We know in 2016, tickets were priced at $25,000 or a table of 10 seats could be purchased for $250,000.
However, even if you manage to pull your pennies together, the Met Gala remains an invitation-only event.
Okay, we’ve paid all this money… what are we getting for it?:
The fundraiser, which now sports much more of a social reputation, begins with celebrities famously arriving via the stairs, starting at the bottom and making their way up.
But what happens when the celebrities disappear, still remains a bit of a mystery.
Reportedly, guests begin with a formal meet-and-greet with the hosts at the door before being led to the new exhibition. This is followed by a formal sit-down dinner with live performances.
What is this year’s theme:
The 2024 Met Gala will celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, with the official dress code being The Garden of Time. This means we should expect the red capet to be filled with archival and nature pieces.
It was inspired by the 1962 short story of the same name by J.G. Ballard, which explores the concept of preservation using flowers with themes of beauty, youth, and innocence.
The exhibition will showcase around 250 rare items, many of which are too fragile to ever be worn again.
Who are this year’s Chairs? (Yes, there are Chairs):
This year, the co-Chairs of the event are Zendaya, Jennifer Lopes, Bad Bunnt and Chris Hemsworth. The chairs change each year.