First of all, what is the Met Gala?
Officially, it’s the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute, a black tie party held on the first Monday in May to raise money for the Costume Institute.
Unofficially, it’s “the party of the year,” “the East Coast Oscars,” and “an ATM for the Met” (the latter by publicist Paul Wilmot). We think of it as the Fashion X Games or the All-Star Game of Entrances.
When does it start?
Guests will be given timed entry instructions to avoid traffic jams on the red carpet. In theory, arrivals start at 5:30 PM, usually with the evening’s famous hosts, and finish at 8:00 PM. But the most famous generally arrive whenever they want, sometimes as late as 9:30 p.m. You can’t rush Rihanna.
Wait… is Rihanna coming?
Probably not this time as she could go into labor any minute, but who knows? That could add some red carpet drama.
So who are the hosts?
The special co-hosts are Regina King, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Honorary presidents include Vogue’s Anna Wintour, the real power behind the event; Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, the company that endorses the exhibition and party, along with Condé Nast; and Tom Ford, who will likely dress many in attendance.
Is there a theme?
The party marks the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual blockbuster show, and the party wear is usually the theme of the exhibition. This year’s show is “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” part two of a year-long extravaganza about the relevance and power of American Fashion. (Part one was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”). The dress code is ‘gilded glamour’.
Hasn’t the American fashion gala already happened?
It is true that due to the pandemic, and a one-off, a Met gala was held in September, albeit on a slightly smaller scale, for part one of the exhibit. (To be completely correct, the galas were originally held in November; they moved a bit and settled in May 2005.) Because the 2020 gala was canceled, the Costume Institute, like the American fashion industry, was given a financial blow, and the midterm gala was scheduled to make up for some of the shortfall — and to give the city the equivalent of a highly visible coming-out party.
Learn more about the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Speaking of the pandemic, are there any Covid precautions this year?
Participants must provide proof of vaccination status and a negative COVID-19 PCR test. They are also asked to wear face coverings indoors except when eating or drinking.
Back to the dress code: What is gilded glamour? Is it about income inequality?
Considering that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attended the September gala in a dress graffitied with the words “Tax the Rich,” tickets cost $35,000 each and tables range from $200,000 to $300,000, that’s a reasonable assumption. But no, this is a celebration of fashion and those who wear it.
Why would anyone pay so much for a party?
Ms. Wintour, the editor of American Vogue and artistic director of Condé Nast, became president in 1995 and took over permanent leadership of the party in 1999. Since then, she’s been instrumental in transforming a local philanthropic event into the ultimate celebrity power cocktail: take a jigger from fashion’s famous names, add film, tech, politics, sports, and influencers and mix.
Since the Costume Institute is the only one of the Met’s curatorial departments to be self-funding, as fashion was a questionable art form when the department was founded, the gala is its main source of income. In 2021, the ball grossed more than $16.4 million. (For some context, the New York City Ballet’s fall gala that same year brought in just over $2 million.)
In addition, not everyone pays. Celebrities, young designers and politicians are usually guests of major brands or the museum.
So what should we expect, fashion wise?
If you’ve seen ‘The Gilded Age’, you get the idea. Think fashion between 1870 and 1890. Think Astors, Vanderbilts, Whitneys and Edith Wharton books. Think gold, corsets, bustles and big sleeves. Think white tie, not black. Think excess!
Sounds like a costume party. Is the?
Only to the extent that fashion is the costume we all wear in everyday life. That said, though, it’s the most extreme version of that costume, more extreme than the Oscars, the Cannes Film Festival, and even the MTV Video Music Awards. Since the designers in attendance almost always come up with their own celebrities, the guests become walking ads for brands and an ad for the event. That has created a virtuous circle of one-upmanship as labels compete for the best stars and stars compete for the most eye-catching outfits.
In 2018, for example, Rihanna came out as Pope for “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Katy Perry wore such huge angel wings that she practically knocked over a fellow guest. And Sarah Jessica Parker had a whole nativity scene on her head.
In 2019, “Camp: Notes on Fashion” took the event to a new level: Lady Gaga, a presenter, stripped four different outfits for her entrance alone; a winged Billy Porter was carried aloft on a palanquin carried by six shirtless men; and Cardi B turned out to be dressed like a womb.
When Kim Kardashian arrived last September in the head-to-toe black Balenciaga, recognizable only by her famous silhouette, it seemed like some kind of turning point had been reached.
How can I watch?
e! offers a live stream, just like Vogue.com. Or, for some sharp commentary, tune in to our red carpet slideshow, which is produced in real-time once the hosts make their appearance.
Who can go? Elon Musk?
Mr. Musk has indeed been a regular visitor for the past few years (in 2018 he helped design Grimes’ gala look), although we’ll see if he shows up this time. He certainly meets all the criteria for admission. After all, unlike other cultural fundraisers, such as the Metropolitan Opera Gala or the Frick Collection Young Fellows Ball, the Met Gala is by invitation only, not just for prizes.
Qualifications for inclusion have more to do with buzz and achievement (and beauty) – aka the gospel according to Anna – than money. Ms. Wintour has the final say on every invite and participant, which means that even if a company buys a table, it can’t pick everyone who sits at their table. It should clear the guest with her and Vogue and pray for approval.
This year, as in 2021, there are about 400 Elected Ones, on a guest list guarded with the obsessive secret of the Illuminati member roll. But keep an eye out for Dakota Johnson, Eileen Gu, Megan Thee Stallion, and newlyweds Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham. And presumably the directors Sofia Coppola, Chloé Zhao and Martin Scorsese will be there as they are part of the show.
What happens when guests come in?
It’s a secret. Posting on social media has been banned since some supermodels were caught taking selfies while smoking in the bathrooms.
What we can tell you is this: there’s a welcome line inside with the hosts, usually next to a towering floral arrangement by event planner Raul Avila, which pretty much takes over the Great Hall’s normal central information booth. Guests pass a reception line and then tour the exhibit on their way to the cocktail party, theoretically compelled to experience some culture.
After cocktails they are called for dinner.
What happens now?
There is always some form of entertainment (besides gossip at the table). In 2019 it was Cher who did both Abba and her own hits. In 2021 it was Justin Bieber, followed by DJ D-Nice. Chances are, Alexander Hamilton—oops, Mr. Miranda—is playing a part this time.
