Last year, it took 275,000 hot pink roses to adorn the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Met Gala, fashion’s biggest night and one of the biggest celebrity gatherings in the world.
It remains to be seen how the great hall of the museum will be decorated on Monday, but one thing is certain: those who enter will be spectacular. The theme centers on the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, who left an indelible mark on luxury fashion during his long career at Chanel, Fendi and elsewhere. It’s not without controversy: Lagerfeld was known for his controversial comments on everything from the #MeToo movement to curvy bodies.
Want to know what to expect as the big night approaches? Here we are sharing the guide with all the details.
WHAT IS THE MET GALA?
It started in 1948 as a midnight dinner party, and it wasn’t even at the Met.
And after more than 70 years, the Met Gala is something else altogether, one of the most photographed events in the world for its incredible red carpet, even if the carpet isn’t always red.
We’re talking about Rihanna when she arrived in a bejeweled potato outfit. Or Zendaya as Cinderella in an illuminated dress. Katy Perry in a chandelier turning into a burger. Also: Beyoncé in her “naked dress.” Billy Porter as the Egyptian sun god, carried on a litter by six shirtless men. Lady Gaga’s 16-minute striptease And last year, Blake Lively’s Versace dress, a tribute to iconic New York architecture, changed color before our eyes.
Then there’s Kim Kardashian, who takes engagement to another level. One year she wore a dress so tight that she confessed to having had to take breathing lessons beforehand. Two years ago, he wore a dark suit that even covered his face. And last year, she really stole the rug, appearing in Marilyn Monroe’s real rhinestone-studded dress that read “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” (on loan from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum), changing in the moment she who came to protect him. There was later controversy over suspicions, denied by Ripley, that she had caused damage.
Hispanic stars like Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Cardi B, Rosalía and Lin-Manuel Miranda shone alongside Kim Kardashian, Hillary Clinton, Billie Eilish and more.
But still, it was a starter. (And, folks, she’s back: She posted a photo of Paris with Lagerfeld’s famous cat Choupette, noting that she was in the French capital to explore the possibilities of this year’s outfit.)
It’s important to note that the party has a purpose: Last year, the party raised $17.4 million for the Met’s Costume Institute, a self-funded department. Yes, that’s a lot for a gala. It also launches the annual Spring Exhibition which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the museum.
But it’s the carpet itself that captures the world’s attention, with the guest list, strategically curated until the last minute, featuring a collection of notable personalities from film, music, fashion, sport, politics and social networks which undoubtedly constitute the largest number of celebrities.
WHO IS THE HOST THIS YEAR?
This year’s five presenters are all from television (Emmy-winning writer, actress and producer Michaela Coel); cinema (Oscar-winning actress Penélope Cruz, who has worked with Chanel for more than 20 years); sports (recently retired tennis superstar Roger Federer); and music (Grammy-winning singer Dua Lipa). Finally, there’s Vogue’s Anna Wintour (need we say she’s hot?) directing everything as usual.
IS THERE ALWAYS A THEME?
Yes, as mentioned above, the subject is Karl Lagerfeld, and the exhibition “Karl Lagerfeld: a beauty line“, analyzes “the designer’s stylistic vocabulary expressed in aesthetic themes that recur constantly in his fashion from the 1950s to his last collection in 2019. Again, it was created by the star curator of the Met, Andrew Bolton.
DOES EVERYONE FOLLOW THE MET GALA THEME?
Not precisely. Some avoid it and just get big and extravagant. But some guests are expected to carefully research the topic and sync perfectly. Fue difícil ganarle a la alfombra roja, por ejemplo, cuando el tema era “Cuerpos celestiales: la moda y la imaginación católica” y Rihanna apareció como el Papa, Zendaya canalizó a Juana de Arco y Perry navegó entre la multitude con un par de enormouss Angel wings. For Lagerfeld, clothes can be a bit more down-to-earth.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY FOR A MET GALA TICKET?
wrong question. You cannot just “buy” a ticket. The right question is: IF I was famous or powerful and invited, how much would it cost?
OK, IF I WAS FAMOUS OR POWERFUL AND WAS INVITED, HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?
Well, you might not have to pay yourself. Usually companies buy tables. A fashion brand would then house the sought-after celebrities. This year the cost has increased, as it does every few years due to increased expenses: it’s now $50,000 for a single ticket, and tables start at $300,000.
SO WHO IS INVITED?
This year there will be around 400 guests, similar to previous years but still below pre-pandemic highs of 500-600. Wintour and his team can still approve all guests.
Try to predict? Get out your pen and jot down some of your favorite names. The new Oscar winners, for example, are a good bet. Broadway is a particular favorite of Wintour. He also loves tennis: this is not Federer’s first fashionable Met Gala. Now cross everyone off your list except the first ones. In this gala, everyone is on the A list.
THIS MUST BE EXAGGERATED
Not precisely. Ask Tina Fey. She went there in 2010 and later described walking around trying to find someone “normal”, not too famous, to sit down and talk to. It ended up being Barbara Walters.
HOW CAN I VIEW THE EVENT?
You can watch the entire mat unfold in a Vogue live stream. If you’re in New York, you can also join the fans across the street behind the barricades on Fifth Avenue, or even further east in Madison. Timothée Chalamet is known to greet fans.
DO WE KNOW WHO’S COMING? AND WHO DOESN’T?
It’s a secret. But the reports slip away. You can count on the appearance of several famous Chanel ambassadors. Lively disappointed some fashion fans when she revealed she wouldn’t be attending this year.
WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE THE MUSEUM?
Upon entering the museum, guests pass what is usually an incredibly huge flower arrangement in the lobby, perhaps with an orchestra playing nearby, and more for cocktails. Or they’re going to see the exhibition. Cocktails are held from 6-8 p.m., but the most famous ones, or those planning to make the biggest entrance, sometimes arrive (fashionably) later.
Around 8 p.m., diners are summoned to dinner, perhaps by a bugle team (“Are you going to do that between each service?” asked aloud actor Gary Oldman one year).
IS IT FUN FOR EVERYONE?
Once in a while, someone says no. Fey, in a comedic tirade to David Letterman in 2015, described the gala as a “parade of assholes” and said it included everyone you’d want to punch if you had a million arms. Amy Schumer left in early 2016, later saying she felt uncomfortable and it was a “punishment”.
THEN THEY NEVER COME BACK, ARE THEY?
In fact, if they come back. Schumer came back in 2017. And again last year.
The couple was seen in public on September 13 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art gala in New York.