What even is the Met Gala?
How did it start? Who's invited? Why is there a theme?
Once a year, celebrities, designers, and A-list guests ascend the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in looks that range from jaw-droppingly gorgeous to heinously bizarre. Despite its extensive internet coverage, there still many details about the event the public seems unaware of.
What is the Met Gala? When did this start?
The Met Gala, formerly known as the Costume Institute Benefit, is a fundraising event for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It was first held in 1948, started by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert as a dinner to raise money for the museum’s fashion department. The first tickets to the Gala were only $50 dollars, in today’s money about $663.
Each year, the gala marks the opening of the museum’s spring fashion exhibit, and the dress code reflects the exhibit’s theme. Thus, the themes are usually rooted in fashion history, art history, or cultural commentary.
It wasn’t until 1973 that the event had an official theme tied to the exhibition, and it’s all thanks to Diana Vreeland. She became a consultant for the museum and that year, the exhibition and the theme were titled, "The World of Balenciaga”.
Most of the internet judges looks based solely on whether or not they like them, but it’s much deeper than aesthetics alone. It’s about tapping into the history of the theme and making meaningful commentary through the designs. So before you critique a look too harshly, perhaps consider the context.
Who gets to go? How much does it cost?
Met Gala tickets start at a whopping $75,000 each. Even if you can afford a ticket, you can’t just buy your way in. You need an invite. All guests are approved by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and yes, she can and has banned people from attending. Generally, a designer will purchase a whole table (around $350,000) and then invite celebrities to come and wear their designs as a form of promotion. Some celebrities work with the designers on their looks, but most don’t have a say in what they wear.
What happens after the red carpet?
Once guests enter inside, phones are supposed to be turned off and there are no reporters present. Guests enjoy a cocktail hour and then have a chance to roam the exhibition. There is a sit-down dinner with a famously strategic seating chart, often designed by Wintour herself with help from Vogue’s events team. As you’d expect, the event is typically catered by high-end chefs.
After dinner, guests enjoy the entertainment… or leave early to get ready for the numerous after parties.
Why is everyone always talking about… the bathroom?
The Met Gala bathroom is the unofficial place for iconic celebrity interactions. It’s the cool off-the-records place where celebrities can relax. Off the records until 2017, when a massive bathroom mirror selfie featuring Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, A$AP Rocky, and others went viral (even though bathroom photos are technically banned). Met Gala bathroom selfies have since become a tradition of sorts.
The Met Gala is part fashion show, part arts fundraiser, part pop culture spectacle. And of course, an opinion bloodbath on the internet for weeks following.
xx,
Addi
Sources:
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Met Gala. In Britannica.com. Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Met-gala
Ramzi, L. (2024, May 2). The lives of the party: A whirlwind history of the Met Gala. British Vogue. https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/met-gala-history