As fashion’s biggest night goes into its 78th year, the Met Gala will return to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The annual benefit raises funds for the Met’s Costume Institute. Anna Wintour has been the lead chair of the event since 1995.
On the first Monday of May, fashion enthusiasts from around the world will tune in to see their favorite artists and celebrities walk the famous Met Gala stairs in their glamor-filled outfits.
This year’s theme
On Nov. 17, Vogue announced this year’s theme: “Costume Art.” The theme celebrates fashion as an art form, and, according to curator Andrew Bolton, is inspired by “the centrality of the dressed body.”
This year’s theme lacks a subtitle. There is often a secondary part that compliments the title, but Bolton and his team decided against it this year.
The exhibition will mark the installment of nearly 12,000 square feet of the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a fashion-first permanent space located adjacent to The Met’s Great Hall. Bolton is excited to welcome this year’s exhibit into the Met.
“It’ll be transformative for our department, but I also think it’s going to be transformative for fashion more generally — the fact that an art museum like The Met is actually giving a central location to fashion,” Bolton shared with Vogue.
Controversy
While this is considered one of fashion’s biggest nights, it has also been the center of several controversial moments over the years.
Critics have pointed out instances of cultural appropriation, where designers or celebrities draw from cultures in ways that feel insensitive. Others argue the night highlights extreme displays of wealth and elitism, highlighting extravagant looks on the carpet and ignoring social and economic issues that are going on.
Additionally, certain outfit choices and themes have sparked public debate over the years.
Rihanna’s Papal-inspired look (2018)
For the theme “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” Rihanna wore a papa mitre with a strapless mini dress and matching robe. While the singer’s outfit was on theme, some saw it as disrespectful to Catholicism and as an example of cultural appropriation.
“My religion is not your costume,” was a response to the outfit on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Gilded Glamour and White Tie” theme (2022)
Many accused the“Gilded Glamour and White Tie” theme, which highlighted wealth, of being insensitive during a time when many were facing economic struggles.
One person posted on X, “Am I the only one who thinks this years #MetGala theme is out of touch? Inequality is at the highest levels since the Gilded Age, a pandemic & economic meltdown wrecked us, inflation is out of control … but cool, let’s wear #GildedAge themed dresses & laugh about inequality … this year’s theme is a slap in the face to average Americans.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Tax the Rich” gown (2021)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s white gown boldly stating “TAX THE RICH” in red lettering sparked a wide range of debate. The gown was designed by Aurora James.
“I think, for me, it was, ‘OK, this is one of the largest fashion stages in the world, right? This is a brilliant woman who has very specific messages that she puts out into the world and very specific ways of thinking,’” James told CBC.
Others, including Donald Trump Jr. and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, found it hypocritical how Cortez wore this statement on her dress yet was at an event that costs around $30,000 a ticket and filled with wealthy individuals.