The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Benefit; aka, the biggest night in fashion, is just around the corner. Every year, the mega event attracts eyes worldwide as coveted celebrities and stars; exclusive invitees may we add, bring their fashion magic onto the red carpet, and eventually into the museum.
It features a unique theme each year; one that holds deep meaning and purpose, accompanied by a dress code for stars to turn up in at the gala. Last year, the spring 2023 exhibition theme was ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ and needless to say, it was a celebration and tribute to the talented designer’s work through the years. The museum featured his greatest masterpieces and the gala saw many stars showing up in some of his iconic designs.
This year too, there is much to look forward to.
Set to be held on the first Monday of May, the 2024 Met Gala theme, dress code, and other details have been revealed, and here’s everything we know about the “Oscars of Fashion”.
What is the Met Gala?
The Met Gala, also known as the Costume Institute Benefit or the Met Ball is a charity event held every Spring in New York City, led by Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. It typically features astounding artwork inspired by notable and historic milestones in the fashion industry and a star-studded guest list that comes clad in iconic bespoke outfits designed by some of the biggest names in fashion couture. Over the years, celebrities have arrived in exceptional ensembles suiting themes like “punk”, “heavenly bodies”, “camp”, and more.
When is the Met Gala 2024?
The Met Gala is typically held annually on the first Monday of May. This implies that it will be held on the 6th of May, this year.
What is the Met Gala theme for 2024?
The theme for the Met Gala 2024 is the epitome of depth; so much so that it will cover nearly 400 years of fashion history.
The event will celebrate the year’s Spring Exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”. Featuring over 250 rarely seen items from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, including some of the most fragile gems; an Elizabethan bodice and an archival silk satin ball gown from 1877, designed by American couturier, Charles Frederick Worth, the exhibit will showcase many iconic pieces by Schiaparelli, Dior, Givenchy, and more. Per a press release, the presentation will also use advanced technologies including video animation, soundscaping, light projection, artificial intelligence, and CGI to “weave a contextual fabric of understanding around each piece”.
While the theme is an ode to a magical era in fashion history, it is also a subtle nod to the natural elements of the world, and how they have inspired creativity in design as well as material usage. Adding another layer to the purpose, the exhibition will be a reminder of the pressing need for sustainability in fashion, a look into the evolution of humans, and the endless loop of creation and destruction.
What is the dress code this year?
The dressing theme for the year is ‘The Garden of Time’. Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, says, “It is very much an ode to nature and the emotional poetics of fashion.” He also went on to explain that the exhibition will comprise pieces centered around three main zones: land, sky, and sea.
This implies that we can expect bespoke outfits designed around these natural elements. The announcement video for the event showcased a painting of a garden covered in flowers, and a woman clad in a blue dress; a cue for inspiration.
The theme is inspired by The Garden of Time by J.G. Ballard (1962) – a short story about Count Axel and his wife the Countess.
Here’s how the story goes:
The happy couple lived a peaceful life in a deserted tranquil Utopian building overlooking a pristine, whimsical garden. When a roaring angry mob charges forward drawing closer to the couple, the Count starts plucking time flowers from their garden, which was abundantly burgeoning. With every flower he plucked, time went back further and further, eventually causing the mob to get back home, and the garden to be destroyed.
This is perhaps why Vogue described the theme as all about “fleeting beauty”.
Who will host the Met Gala 2024?
This year’s co-chairs were announced through a fun post on social media on February 15. Along with Anna Wintour, the co-hosts for the Met Gala 2024 are Zendaya, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and Chris Hemsworth.
Honorary chairs were named as Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
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Who will be the guests?
The official complete guest list of the event is typically not revealed until immediately before the big night, which means we are in for exciting surprises as the stars start showing up on the red carpet. Some of the most notable names that attend the event regularly include Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Emma Chamberlain, Rihanna, and other stars in the same league. We can also expect the partners of the co-hosts of the year, Ben Affleck, Tom Holland, and Elsa Pataky to put their best foot forward.
With less than two months left for the big event, the countdown begins for the fashion Oscars.
Bhagya Lakshmi
I’m a fashion designer, content creator, writer, and a strong advocate of body positivity. I love animals, books, rose gold jewellery, putting together minimal OOTDs, and purpose-driven writing.
