You’ve probably heard about the Met Gala - it is famous for one thing and one thing only: high fashion. It is that one night when you take a seat on your couch and rate dresses worn by celebrities according to the theme set by organizers every year.
Sometimes celebrities bring their A-game and wow the crowd with their ensemble, but failing to hit the mark is not that uncommon. Global audiences eagerly wait for photos from this exclusive event so they can enjoy the Met theme coming to life.
Teen Vogue | Some of the best looks from the Met Gala 2021
What Makes the Met the Met?
While many may not know but the Met is not just a fashion show. This exclusive get-together is formally called the Costume Institute Benefit or Costume Institute Gala, but mostly, it is referred to as the Met Ball. This fancy event is an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute based in New York, USA.
Given the fact that this lavish party is all about fashion, celebrities are invited to the event and fashion designers spend hours on end making a masterpiece to adorn their clients in.
AP | The met has served us some pretty iconic looks over the years
The Met as We Know It
Established in 1948, the Met Gala is bound to have some iconic happenings that will go down in history. This fashion-motivated event has had quite a few moments which make the Met exclusive, classy, and just downright enigmatic.
Diana Vreeland was a French-American columnist who left her job at Vogue to become a part of the Met Committee. When she did, she brought her own twist to the Met, which featured a room decorated like an opium den with faceless mannequins that had pantyhose pulled over their heads.
Talk about turning an event into an experience. Vreeland was the first one to introduce the idea of themes for the Met. In 1973, the first exhibition was The World of Balenciaga, which became the first theme to be linked to an exhibit. A year after, the theme was set to be Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design. She continued working for the Met till her death in ’89, bringing an end to an era.
Diana Vreeland | Diana Vreeland at the Met Gala in 1973
The A-Listers
The idea of having celebrities join the Met Gala was pitched in by Diana Vreeland and during her time, she allowed the Met to embrace pop culture. This led to Andy Warhol, Diana Ross, and Cher joining the Met team, alongside politicians and public figures like Henry Kissinger and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
