The Met Gala, an annual fundraising event for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is held in New York City and takes place on the first Monday of May every year.
This event brings celebrities from across the country together where they all dress to the nines wearing elaborate luxury pieces while following that year’s designated theme or dress code. This is a major event in pop culture, as well as the fashion industry as we can see our favorite celebrities embrace their true style, and set the tone for later fashion trends. The Met Gala was established in 1948 by New York based fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, with invitation-only tickets going for as much as $50 to dine amongst elites at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. This dinner was held at midnight and was marketed as “the party of the year.” Originally, Lambert aspired to make Ne
w York City a fashion capital of the world, comparable to Milan or Paris. In addition to the Met Gala, Lambert also started bi annual press week, now addressed as New York fashion week in order to draw press toward American fashion trends. Aside from the drawing press, the Met Gala was created to celebrate the opening of the Costume Institute, and is a way we can fundraise and celebrate fashion culture all together.
As we know, the Met Gala’s theme is a critical part of the fundraising event. Each year the theme is strategically formed by elaborate, seasoned designers with years of experience in the industry. Oftentimes, designers draw inspiration from history, art, and culture. Each theme offers a unique way to explore how fashion reflects and reinterprets the past. For example, 2018s theme “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” takes inspiration from catholic art and its influence on fashion. Designers referred to religious imagery from centuries ago, where people incorporated crosses, halos, and ornate decorative pieces and embellishments into their looks. This was rooted to the renaissance and medieval influence on fashion and religion in earlier years. This year, Rihanna is seen wearing an ornately embellished mini dress with a matching hat and shaw. Additionally, The 2019 th
eme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” took inspiration from Susan Sontag’s essay “Notes on ‘Camp’.” This essay celebrated over-the-top aesthetics and “a kind of winking bad taste,” according to Vogue. Camp has long been tied to self-expression, and this theme brought its playful roots into the spotlight. One of the most renowned looks was worn by iconic pop star Lady Gaga (seen below). As the night begins, she’s shown wearing a ginormous pink dress. However, as the night goes on she unzips this over-the-top dress to reveal a smaller black dress. After unzipping the black dress she’s seen in a smaller pink maxi dress. Themes such as “China: Through the Looking Glass” (2015) showcased how Chinese culture and art have influenced Western fashion and design throughout history. Furthermore, themes such as “Punk: Chaos to Couture” (2013) revisited the punk movement of the 1970s and how it reshaped
fashion allows people to express themselves and their emotions through how they dress. More recently, 2022’s theme, “Gilded Glamour,” revisited the lavish
style of America’s Gilded Age (1870–1900). Drawing inspiration from an era of industrial wealth, it challenged guests to reinterpret the extravagance of a transformative historical period. This year, pop culture celebrity Kim Kardashian shocked millions by walking the carpet wearing Maralin Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr.President,” dress. Each year, the theme of the Met Gala ties current fashion to the past, delving into the history of Western fashion and how it developed, as well as cultural influences on fashion and how fashion changes over time.
The 2025 Met Gala is scheduled for Monday, May 5, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” draws inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion. The event will be co-chaired by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour, with LeBron James serving as an honorary chair, according to AP news. You can watch the event on the Met: Live at Home streaming platform, in movie theaters, and on Met Opera on Demand.
