“Fashion can create a dream, create a fantasy... it’s a kind of theater,” says Anna Wintour (editor-in-chief of Vogue, Conde Nast Artistic Director, Metropolitan Museum of Art Board Member and Chairwoman of the Met Gala) about the Met Gala in the invigorating documentary, First Monday in May. The first Monday in May marks a very important date in which fashion’s biggest night out is held - the grandiose Met Gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The busy and ubiquitous chatter, the magical, theatrical and seemingly otherworldly designs gracing the red carpet, priceless artwork surrounded by thematic decorative elements, and the most renowned actors, musicians, designers, film directors, artists, fashion models, athletes, entrepreneurs, cultural and high societal figures, and the biggest global superstars gather to showcase some of the most avant-garde garments ever seen. Either you have seen the First Monday in May or you have had your social media flooded about it before, the Met Gala is irrefutably the most monumental fashion event to take place every year. From the Gala’s origin, the growth of relevance and benefit it has on the fashion industry, the incredible attention to the experience of it all, the celebrity-designer collaboration, to the way this event has convinced many that fashion is truly an art form - it is understandable why the world stops for one day and prepares itself for the first Monday in May.
Every year on the first Monday in May, our social media feeds are filled with celebrities wearing the most magnificent haute couture looks with the most mind blowing details. Excited to see who will wear what, what designer each celebrity will collaborate with, and how they will interpret the given theme for that year is one of the main reasons many tune in to see this event. Of course, the artistry of the dazzling design elements that goes along with a celebrity wearing it and bringing it to life is part of the magic of it all. The prestige the Met Gala is known for, has been earned by year upon year finding new ways to improve the efforts to raise more funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute as well as awareness of the greatest fashion works of art.
It all began in the roaring 20’s in New York when Irene Lewisohn (theatre director) and Aline Bernstein (stage designer) decided to begin collecting costumes so that they can look back for inspiration for their productions. With the rising glitz and glamour of the Jazz Age and its razzle-dazzle performances, an inventory of glittering costumes was certainly necessary. This collection then grew to be over 8,000 pieces by 1946 which served as inventory for the newly founded Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1948, the renowned fashion publicist, Eleanor Lambert who founded New York Fashion Week, the CFDA (Coty Fashion Critics’ Award), and the International Best Dressed List among many other fashion industry changing accomplishments, also founded the Met Gala, then known as the Costume Institute Gala or the Costume Institute Benefit. This glamorous Gala is not so different from how it is today, with New York’s most elite (versus its global star-studded guest list today) attending to raise funds for the Costume Institute. Although the ticket price has changed (from $50 to about $30,000 today), the cause remains the same - to raise funds for the Costume Institute and expand its efforts to exhibit and archive some of the world’s greatest fashion pieces.
In 1971, Diana Vreeland - fashion icon, visionary, and inspiration for many - became a consultant for the Costume Institute in which she certainly shifted some gears for. The Met Gala continued to evolve under her consulting by introducing themed Galas, with its first themed event in 1971, which was “Fashion Plate.” She also shifted this event from being solely a societal event into one that also invited celebrities such as Cher, Elton John, Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Harry, Bianca Jagger, and Diana Ross just to name a few. Thanks to Vreeland, during her reign as consultant the Metropolitan Museum of Art became the Met Gala’s official home venue that it continues to be today.
Fast forward to 1995 and beyond and you have the A-list couture spectacle and boundary-pushing fashion “Super Bowl” that it is known for being today. Under Anna Wintour’s direction since becoming chairwoman for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Met Gala in 1995, she has focused heavily on evolving the event for it to accomplish its main purpose: create lots of buzz that in turn helps raise funds for the Costume Institute. She has accomplished this very successfully, raising 8 figure amounts yearly (and it is ever increasing). Although she has successfully raised hefty amounts for the Costume Institute under direction, she has also given a whole new purposes for the Met Gala. Since Wintour, the Met Gala has increasingly inspired admiration and appreciation for couture craftsmanship, embellishment, interpretation and tailoring. It has also created a platform for self-expression and embraced the exciting chemistry between renowned fashion designers and celebrities that wear their designs. Fashion’s biggest night out has accomplished to entice people to visit the exhibition once it is released to the general public and of course it constantly reminds us that fashion is truly an art form.
The Met Gala excels in being a celebration of the finer things in life, an event dedicated to showing admiration towards one of our favorite visual inspirations: fashion. Andrew Bolton, the genius Costume Institute Head Curator, looks over 33,000 articles of clothing and accessories that span over 7 centuries of fashion, from the 15th Century up until today. Priceless fashion relics from our past like iconic pop culture looks or global period pieces are exhibited every year right after the Met Gala until around early September. The Costume Institute serves as an exhibit and archive (The Costume Institute Conservation Laboratory) for fashion’s greatest moments across the globe, showcasing and conserving the most magnificent works of art and intricate couture designs. Just like one would like to keep safe an original “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt, the Costume Institute Conservation Laboratory keeps garments like a festival dress from the 19th century Qing dynasty (exhibited for the China: Through the Looking Glass Met Gala 2015) or a Yves Saint Laurent evening dress from Fall/Winter 1969–70 Haute Couture with bird-of-paradise feathers (exhibited for the Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology Met Gala 2016) safe and sound.
Each year, the Met Gala is held with a specific and elaborate theme which results in attendees going all out to represent this theme creatively with designers choosing their muses to showcase the custom-made garments. The craftsmanship that goes into making most of these designs is absolutely astounding, with one of the best examples being the golden yellow Guo Pei couture cape gown Rihanna wore for the 2016 Met Gala. This magnificent gown took almost 2 years to make just for RiRi made primarily of golden thread and fox fur, resulting in a over 55-pound dress. Rihanna and the legendary Chinese couture designer, Guo Pei, did not know much about each other but when Rihanna came across the gown online in Pei’s 2010 Couture show, she knew that she had to wear it. Refreshed with Rihanna’s personal touches and style, the designer-musician duo created so much buzz together. The silent shock of awe that was the second Rihanna stepped on the red carpet wearing that dreamlike cape gown followed by the burst of excitement as the press and audience realized that this look would later on become one of the most memorable Met Gala looks of all time. Just like Rihanna’s own unique power fused with Guo Pei’s unmatchable talent and craftsmanship created such an unforgettable moment in fashion, these celebrity-designer duos are a big part of making the Met Gala what it is today. Zendaya wearing that childhood-dream-come-true Tommy Hilfiger Cinderella gown, Lady Gaga’s 4 looks-in-1 Brandon Maxwell performance art extravaganza, Zayn and Gigi’s first red carpet together wearing armored Tommy Hilfiger gear, and the iconic sparkly sheer jumpsuit by Bob Mackie that Cher wore are all examples of the power these celebrity-designer collaborations hold.
With fashion’s ever growing connection with celebrities and social media, it gives the fashion industry a whole new dimension, one that traverses any barrier high fashion seemingly had in the past. The fashion realm increasingly becomes a powerful force that inspires us boldly and moves us deeply. Each moment a celebrity steps in with the designer, it’s like the world stops and bursts back again, with social media feeds and the press buzzing about their interpretation of the theme. Of course, the 4-D fashion art experience doesn’t stop there since as soon as the red carpet frenzy is done, the world’s greatest superstars glamorously climb the MET stairs and walk into all of the exhibits prepared for that day’s theme. Anna Wintour and her incredible team work tirelessly each year to create the perfect atmosphere that best fits for the selected theme by choosing the finest decor, art and historic and contemporary fashion garments to be exhibited to further enhance the experience. As seen on the film “First Monday in May”, every little bit of the Gala is selected so carefully under thorough investigation with the efforts of being accurate and most respectful as possible.
With the magic and mystery that the Met Gala holds, there is no doubt that this global event also has the power to set the tone for future fashion trends as well. At the epitome of luxury and high fashion, the Met Gala is an intriguing and spellbinding fashion affair that many dream of attending one day and seeing this magic first hand. Witnessing the silent awe as each design is seen for the first time on the world’s greatest stars, followed by the clicks and pops of camera shutters and the sudden bursting of shouting, all trying to capture the enchanting moment. Although the About Time: Fashion and Duration 2020 Met Gala was cancelled, fashion lovers around the world unite in the hopes that the 2021 Met Gala will still occur. The theme for this year has not been announced (at the time of print) but we certainly look forward to the possibility of seeing once again on the first Monday of May some of the greatest designers, unforgettable designs, and the theatricality of it all with erupting excitement - not forgetting that all is done for a good cause of course, as fashion will forever remain as the most adored and empathetic art form.
