Understanding the Met Gala

Each year the Met Gala floods the media with fresh takes on fashion, rocked by respected celebrities from across the nation. However, it has not always been the prestigious, red carpet celebration of clothing we know today. When it originated in 1948, it was a midnight dinner with tickets costing only 50 dollars per person. Now, as the event has become more televised, it is invite-only and there is a waiting list to attend. The Met receives revenue through the sale of individual tickets and table tickets. Fashion designers across the globe purchase tickets for around $30,000 each and tables for at least $275,000. The designers and brands invite A-list celebrities as their guests to show off their clothing designs on the carpet and join them at their table. In 2018 and 2019, for example, one representative from the gallery revealed that The Met raised over 13 million dollars for the Costume Institute. This is the only department within the museum that has to fund itself, so celebrities join in to help promote the organization’s fundraiser. In return, these stars get a chance to wear specially made clothes by designers, while getting loads of publicity from the community that tunes in every year for the event. Coined as the “fashion industry’s version of the Oscars," those who are passionate about fashion and clothing design hope to be one of the 600 guests invited.

Not only is this celebration beneficial for the museum, but more importantly it is a chance for designers to share their vision within the artistic community. For the case of one designer, Alexander McQueen, it acts as a “conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity” within their craft. Every year there is a different theme for the designers to work with. Themes are created through careful consideration from the curator of the event. Themes that allow designers to convey powerful messages that include their perspectives about society. Previous event themes consisted of 2019’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion," 2018’s “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," and 2017’s “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between." These previous themes were all constructed in order to cultivate a creative and influential conversation about society. Diving into the 2021 theme of “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," many different comments on society were made. As Andrew Bolton explains the theme, “American designers are at the forefront of conversations around diversity, inclusivity, sustainability, gender fluidity, and body positivity” which “enables [them] to focus on the younger designers who are engaging thoughtfully and deeply with those ideas.” So, with this in mind, below are some of the outfits from this year examined closely.

Natalia Bryant and Conner Ives are seen in his signature brand, Conner Ives. Bryant “wore a floral sequined gown [...] sustainably made from recycled PET plastic.” This piece commented on fast fashion in comparison to more sustainably enjoyed fashion.

Kim Kardashian is seen wearing Demna Gvasalia. Sometimes celebrity’ outfits are left up to interpretation for the audience. Kim retweeted on Twitter: “For someone who is always criticized for being overly sexual, Kim showed she can cover every square inch of skin and still find a way to be criticized and ridiculed. THAT is American culture.” This hints at the over-sexualization of individual figures within American society. However, there is also debate on whether her outfit is in support of Donda, Kanye West’s recently released album with an all-black album cover. Additionally, she made the statement, “What’s more American than a T-shirt head to toe?!”

ASAP Rocky is in (ERL) Eli Russell Linnetz.Vogue explains, “Since colonial times, the handcraft has been an integral part of the American experience, and quilts have served as historical documents, family keepsakes, and contemporary art.” Linnetz continues this conversation stating that “there’s an intense narrative to this piece, it’s beautiful on the outside, inside it represents a world of memories.”

After carefully investigating only three of the outfits that captured the runway at this year's Met Gala, it becomes evident how much thought, planning and investigation go into each piece. Not only is the event a platform to see outlandish and avant-garde clothing, but it is a creative platform for artists and designers to unify and discuss cross-cultural connections.