The Meaning Behind The Met
It’s the first Monday of May. Your feed is flooded with celebrity candids, bathroom “Get Ready With Me”s, and all things fashion (at least, this was the case pre-pandemic). As tempting as it is to dive into the virtual world of the Met Gala, have you ever taken a second to look up from your phone and ask yourself the big questions? What about this event drives people from all around the world into a fashion frenzy? What is it all for? Why does it matter?
In order to fully appreciate the magic behind The Met Gala, we’ll need to look back to how it all started.
It’s hard to believe that fashion even existed before the iconic Anna Wintour took on Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue in 1988. Many of us automatically associate the Met Gala with Anna because of the countless number of connections she has been able to maintain with revolutionary photographers, designers, and models around the world. But before Anna stepped into the limelight, proving that she was so much more than her pageboy haircut, an American fashion publicist, Eleanor Lambert, was hard at work. By the end of her career, Eleanor had successfully directed the world’s attention to the American fashion industry. Eleanor was the mother of the Met Gala and many other prestigious New York fashion events including the International Best Dressed List, New York Fashion Week (that’s right, the whole week), and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards, better known as the C.F.D.A. Awards.
The first Met Gala, formally called the Costume Institute Gala, was held in 1948. What started as a simple fundraiser for the Costume Institute, marking the birth of its annual exhibit evolved into the astounding Gala that all know and love. With the help of Diana Vreeland, another pioneer in the world of fashion who, after writing for Harper’s Bazaar, claimed the throne and became Editor-in-Chief for Vogue in 1963 and consultant to the Costume Institute in 1972, the Gala started to introduce themes, invite the most prominent celebrities, and actually take place on Fifth Avenue. It’s one of those events that doesn’t need to be advertised. With faces from the fashion, film, and music industry showing up every year on the Met steps, there is little to no concern that the Gala will fail to attract the attention it’s looking for.
Anna Wintour in Karl Lagerfeld at the 2019 Met Gala. Image via
Nevertheless, there is so much more to the event than spectators’ built up anticipation for the release of the guest list and the slow unveiling of designs. It’s important to remember that behind all of the glitz and the glamour, the Met Gala will always be devoted to supporting creativity. Afterall, the Costume Institute continues to be one of the Met’s only curatorial departments that has to find funding for itself. The history of fashion has not been supported in the same way fine arts have. So often it is labeled as superficial, ingenuine, and an overall bad example for younger generations to aspire to be a part of. Sure, at its worst, the fashion industry may have its faults. But at its best, it not only offers creative minds a new medium for their work, but also has the capability of honoring cultures and inspiring political conversations. The Met Gala, unlike any other carpet event, is a celebration of the arts that cannot be replaced.
Made evident from the Gala’s long history, this may be one of the few fashion events that hasn’t been birthed from Anna Wintour’s brilliance. Although she has indeed contributed to its increasing exclusiveness, carefully crafting a list of invitees only accessible by her loyal Vogue staffers, perhaps the most important role she has taken on is caretaker of the legacy both Eleanor and Diana have left for her. In other words, what lies behind the magic of the Met are three extremely powerful women, who have influenced major changes in the industry. It is because of each of their grit, determination, and an undying appreciation for all things fashion that the Met Gala continues to “wow” us commoners and even its guests.
Kendall Jenner in Versace at the 2019 Met Gala. Image via
While the art of celebrity table-seating at the Met remains a mystery to us all, the recent growth in social media, specifically Instagram, usage over the past decade has allowed for the designers, models, politicians, Oscar winners, Grammy winners, and sometimes EGOT winners to give fans behind-the-scenes looks at all of the time, people, and effort that goes into preparing for what Vogue Contributing Editor André Leon Talley has labeled the “Super Bowl of fashion.” And although Anna doesn’t seem to want to budge on her strict ban on social media usage at the event, a select few, including the “self-made” model Kendall Jenner, have managed to snap some candids to later share with their 127 million or so followers.
Now that we’ve gone through all things Met, it’s time for my favorite part: the outfits. That is what we’re all here for, isn’t it? In honor of the event being postponed for the sake of safe social distancing, I thought I’d go through some of my favorite recent Met Gala looks from the past two years. So grab a glass of water, or Perrier if you’re feeling fancy and join me on a walk down memory lane.
Besides the fact that I’ve included a picture of both Anna and Kendall from last year’s Camp: Notes on Fashion theme, I personally wasn’t much of a fan. Don’t get me wrong, I was impressed by the craftsmanship and creativity that went into the designs for a very complicated theme (almost every article that I read from the 2019 Gala was a new attempt at explaining “camp”), but it’s always difficult for me to welcome color with open arms. I’m a minimalist, so I prefer when it’s used sparingly. For the sake of this experience, though, I guess I’ll award “best-dressed” to Lady Gaga’s four-part piece by Brandon Maxwell, a close friend of Gaga, co-host of the 2019 Gala. Contrary to popular opinion, what attracts me most about this piece is not the hot pink fabric or even the performance that took place on the carpet, but Gaga’s dedication to her work. The dedication that led her to be so adamant about holding rehearsal’s for the big day. But I mean come on, it’s Gaga, you should expect nothing less.
Spotted on the steps of the Met: B stunning everyone in Versace at the 2018 Gala. Image via
Take it back to 2018 when we were blessed with Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. Apparently, for most designers, the theme called for headpieces. SZA, Solange, Madonna, Winnie Harlow, Priyanka Chopra, and Rosie Huntington-Whitely, were among many who graced us with a variety of crowns, veils, and levitating halos. To my surprise, of the hundreds of pieces that made an appearance that year, there were very few I didn’t like. The theme, an ode to the relationship between fashion and the Church, brought a comforting sense of familiarity that is so often lost in an event as spectacular as the Met Gala. Perhaps it is because there was more consistency among the style of designs that year. Somehow, the gorgeously loud Gucci ensembles worn by Lana Del Ray and Jared Leto did not clash with the collage of Saints that decorated Stella Maxwell’s Moschino gown. Although it was difficult to pick a favorite for 2018, for the complete opposite reason as 2019, I was content with Blake Lively, an angel if I’ve ever seen one, claiming the top spot.
It is no surprise that Blake, a regular attendee, was the center of attention when she showed up at the museum. From her wispy curled hair and halo bun, engineered by hair-stylist Rod Ortega, to her gown’s jewel-encrusted bodice and sheer leg cut outs, there were no imperfections in Blake's Met Gala look. Even with her perfectly put-together ensemble in mind, none of the previously mentioned elements are the reason for her well-deserved win (awarded by me of course). In fact, it is because of one simple accessory, which only made it into a few of the photographs taken of her that night, that her look stood out from the rest. With the help of Judith Leiber, a Hungarian-American designer who got her claim to fame from unique Swarovski crystal encrusted purses, Blake was able to attend the Met with her whole world in her hands. One side of her custom clutch features her family’s name: Reynolds, and the first initial of her own name, her husband Ryan’s and her daughters’, James and Ines. The clutch followed the theme closely and added the perfect detail to Blake’s already extravagant look.
This last one is for the boys, or shall I say, men.
It’s common knowledge that men are less likely to impress us with their fashion at big-shot award shows, movie premieres, or Met Galas. It could just be me, maybe I don’t have a palette mature enough for that level of craftsmanship, but I highly doubt it. Regardless of my own opinion, I think everyone can agree that the men of the 2017 Met Gala did not come to play. For some unknown reason, the theme Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between really spoke to the designers styling the men in attendance. One highlight of the night was none other than Migos. The family trio—Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff—made their Met Gala debut dressed in Versace. Their sleek black suits embodied was the perfect example of simple, yet sophisticated. Iced out in matching “Culture” necklaces, the name of the rappers’ second hit album, Migos has never looked better. Jaden Smith was decked out in head to toe Louis Vuitton, impressing us all when he conquered the steps in shiny heeled boots. As if that wasn’t enough, he decided the perfect arm candy would be his own dreadlocks. He was right. Although these looks may not top Zayn’s metal arm from the 2016 Met Gala Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, they come in a close second.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image via
I hope this brief exploration of the history of the Met Gala has helped make the indefinite postponement of this year’s event a little less unbearable. If you’re feeling down, there are 21 years of past Galas to browse through. Have some fun looking for the big mistakes and the hidden gems. Here’s to many more years of celebrating fashion and the arts.
