Met Gala History and Impact

Written by Tirsa Parrish and Jet Thurmond

Every year on the first Monday in May, guests head to the stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Met, for an exclusive night of opulence. The Met Gala is one of popular culture’s favorite talking points. Often called “Fashion’s Biggest Night,” the Gala has changed drastically since its beginnings due to the influence of many important women. Here is an overview of how the Met Gala started, where it is now, and a look into the future of what we might see on the steps at the 2023 Met Gala.

The Costume Institute Benefit

With the financial support of the fashion industry, The Museum of Costume Art merged with The Metropolitan Museum of Art into The Costume Institute in 1946. The Costume Institute Benefit, now commonly known by the public as The Met Gala, is the main source of funding for the department's exhibitions, acquisitions, and capital improvements. The Gala marks the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual exhibit, and the theme of the Gala comes from the theme of this exhibition.

 Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute chief curator revealed in 2020 that the theme should cause some type of controversy and cause a debate. He and his team come up with a theme for the exhibition, but they must present it to the museum’s director and president to be approved. Lastly, the theme goes to the chair of the Met Gala for final approval. In general, the theme is approved a year in advance.

Even after this rigorous approval process is finished, the theme can still be changed. For example, the "Heavenly Bodies" theme was originally slated for 2017, but when Comme des Garçons’s Rei Kawakubo agreed to being the focus for her ‘career survey’, the team couldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate the designer.

The Met Gala was a charity event created in 1948 by renowned publicist Eleanor Lambert. The first Met Gala was held in December with tickets priced at $50 each, which is equivalent to about $624 today. Until 1971, the event was not actually held in the Metropolitan Museum, instead being located at various other New York City venues such as the Rainbow Room or Central Park. The Met Gala is still one of the largest fundraisers in NYC and it raised about $17.4 million in 2022. According to Forbes, the Met Gala has raised more than $175 million for the Costume Institute. 

1981. Diana Vreeland and Bill Blass. Photo: Getty Images; Image via savoirflair.com

Influence of Diane Vreeland

The structure of the Met Gala began to transition with the strong influence of Diana Vreeland, American Vogue’s Editor in Chief from 1963 to 1971. Vreeland joined the Costume Institute as a consultant after her tenure at Vogue, and with her influence the event became more elaborate and celebrity-oriented. 

The guest list expanded to include the biggest stars of the era including Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Elton John, and Cher. Vreeland turned it into a party rather than a typical charity dinner. In this time, it had been associated with popular culture and was immensely publicized. The dinner gala switched to being a theme event in 1973.

Choosing A Theme

The first theme was The World of Balenciaga. Some other early themes were “Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design”, “Vanity Fair: A Treasure Trove,” and “La Belle Époque”.

Cher in the “Naked Dress” designed by Bob Mackie for the 1974 Met Gala. Image via iconicway.tumblr.com

From Black Tie To Avant Garde

In 2004, the world’s understanding of the Met Gala shifted further. The theme was “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century.” Rather than attendees arriving in tuxedos and ball gowns, this event marked the transition to guests arriving in elaborate costumes relating to the Gala theme. 

One of the iconic looks present at the 2004 Gala was Amber Valetta, an actress and model who wore an 18th-century inspired ensemble with a nude corset by Maggie Norris Couture and a wildly colorful punk-inspired bustled skirt by John Galliano.

Amber Valletta, 2004 Met Gala. Image via eonline.com

The World of Wintour

Vreeland worked with the Costume Institute and the Met as a consultant until her death in 1989. Anna Wintour took over as chair at the Met in 1995 and began overseeing the Gala and its guest list, which is limited to 650-700 people every year. 

Wintour also played a key role in reshaping the Met Gala into what it is today. She switched the date to the first Monday in May, and she must approve every guest that will attend the gala. It is common for designers to purchase tables and then fill them up with various celebrities that they will be dressing for the event.

However, this does not mean that all of the celebrities chosen by a designer will be allowed to attend. In the past, Wintour has denied guests from attending the event and placed a different guest in that seat instead.

Ticket prices have risen, and a ticket currently costs $30,000. From the 1970s and into the 1980s, the price of admission was still less than $1,000 per person. The single ticket price increased by 1998, reaching $2,000. It increased to $3,500 in the next three years. By 2010, the event became such a celebrity-filled event that single ticket prices rose to $25,000, and a 10-person table cost $250,000. Price increases highlight how much this has become a see-and-be-seen event. 

Dove Cameron wearing ‘Spiral Nebula’ gown designed by Iris van Herpen at the 2022 Met Gala. Image via 3dprintingindustry.com.

What Happens At The Met Gala Stays At The Met Gala?

The Met Gala enforces several rules for attendees, and it is known for its secrecy. One rule is that social media use is prohibited at the gala. There is a strict no-photo policy while inside the Met and attending the event, but pop-culture fans will know about some of the photos celebrities have been able to sneak throughout the evening. One series of photos that is particularly well-known was taken from within the women’s bathroom. 

What happens at the gala is meant to be a secret, and only guests are able to partake in anything the event has to offer. There are very strict rules for seating, and spouses are not allowed to sit together.

While guests are treated to cocktails and a formal dinner, Anna Wintour has removed specific items from being a part of any menu, according to the New York Post. These include parsley (because it can be stuck in one’s teeth), garlic, and onion. The latter is omitted so no one will have bad breath at the event. Bruschetta also isn't offered to avoid spills on guests’ elaborate costumes. Another rule is no guests under 18. As of this year’s gala, Wintour must approve guests’ attire in advance. 

2016; Photo: Alexa Chung/Instagram; Image via instyle.com

Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty

The 2023 Met Gala theme has been officially announced by Vogue as of September 2022, after news of a potential leak was revealed. However, the leak was proven false. The theme for 2023 will be “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” 

The event and exhibition will honor Lagerfeld, who was a regular attendee of the Met Costume Institute. Lagerfeld designed for many fashion houses along with his own eponymous brand, including Patou, Balmain, Chloé, Fendi, and Chanel.

Anna Wintour will be one of the Met Gala’s hosts for the event. There will be four co-chairs this year: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penélope Cruz, and Roger Federer. The event will be held on May 1. As usual, the guest list is top secret. But the biggest names in the business will likely attend. Who is Karl Lagerfeld, and what can we infer about Met Gala attire this year from his history? 

Lagerfeld’s Career

All of Lagerfeld’s designs are deeply connected to European culture. His passing marked the disappearance of one of the last public figures left from “the world of yesterday.” In the early part of his career, he worked with Pierre Balmain as an assistant and apprentice beginning in 1955. He became artistic director for Jean Patou beginning in 1958 under the name Roland Karl. His designs for Patou were very chic, structured, and often controversial with skirts deemed to be the shortest in Paris in 1960.  

Chloé

Lagerfeld’s designs for Chloé began as freelance work in the 1960s, and he became one of the most prominent designers in the world for his work there. He left the brand in 1983 and returned briefly in 1992. He officially left the brand in 1997. 

In his early stages, he found inspiration in various silhouettes from the 1930s and 1950s. Focused on creating designs that were comfortable and unencumbered by eliminating certain structural elements common in these silhouettes.

He created the juxtaposition of these designs in later years with Chloé. The new works were heftily constructed, and far more restrictive. These looks would dominate the 1980s.

Fendi

Lagerfeld was also the creative director of Fendi and is credited with modernizing their line of furs. He began working for the brand in 1967, and he remained a partner with Fendi Rome until his death. 

He faced some controversy for a collection that glorified the use of fur, but he continued to prioritize its use. His last collection with Fendi was released in 2019 at Milan Fashion Week in a show memorializing the designer. 

Spring/Summer 1993. Photo: Getty Images; Image via harpersbazaar.com

Chanel

Lagerfeld is most well known for his time at Chanel as Creative Director. The brand was starting to die out in the early 1980s, as customers began to find them boring. He did not reinvent the brand but continued to build on its heritage. 

Some of the most iconic parts of early Chanel designs were the tweed suit, the little black dress, quilting, the camellia, and golden chains. He was responsible for some of the most iconic Chanel looks of his time, and created a new wave of success for the brand.

His designs for Chanel were classic and hyperfeminine, continuing the feel of Chanel’s iconic styles, but with shortened hemlines and some zing to the labels accessories collection. Even his workwear had a feminine touch with expert tailoring highlighting the female figure. He held the creative director position from 1983 until his death in 2019. 

Unfortunately, Karl Lagerfeld has been known to be problematic in behavior throughout his career. This has sparked controversy regarding the choice to honor him at this year’s gala. These situations and circumstances serve as an important reminder to separate the art from the artist.

As spectators or avid Met Gala enjoyers, we can celebrate the beauty of the pieces that Lagerfeld created without praising the man who made them. Hopefully, we see designers embrace the stylistic elements of Lagerfeld’s work and take extra care in how they present the designer. Overall, this year’s Met Gala has a full career’s worth of design inspiration to pull from, and we look forward to seeing the very best of what all of the designers this year have to offer.