Met Gala | History, Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Themes, & Facts (2024)

Met Gala, annual charity event that benefits the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or “the Met”) in New York City. It is usually held on the first Monday in May and coincides with the opening of the institute’s annual blockbuster exhibition. It is one of the most prestigious fashion events of the year, with an invitation-only guest list that includes many high-profile celebrities.

History of the benefit for the Costume Institute

The event originated in 1948 as a fundraiser for the Costume Institute, a curated collection of objects representing fashionable dress from the 15th century to the contemporary period. The institute had been founded in 1946 when the Museum of Costume Art merged with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The collection was housed at the Met, and, while the Costume Institute held exhibitions, it was regarded primarily as a study collection to support the research of fine arts and as a resource for design professionals. In 1959 the institute became a full curatorial department so that dress could be studied and exhibited as an art form itself. Since its inception, however, the Costume Institute has been the only curatorial department at the Met required to raise its own operating funds. The Met Gala was thus established to finance the work of the institute and remains the primary source of the department’s funding in the 21st century.

Early years

The first gala was a midnight supper organized by Eleanor Lambert, a fashion publicist, and Dorothy Shaver, the president of Lord & Taylor, a fashion retailer based in New York City. It was publicized as “the Party of the Year,” and tickets cost $50 each. Within a few years, the ticket price doubled, and, by 2023, ticket prices had risen to $50,000 each and $300,000 for a table. Initially, the event was held in November or December at different venues in New York City, such as the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center or the Waldorf Astoria. Each year had a theme, though not necessarily the same as that of the concurrent exhibition at the Costume Institute, as would be the case in later decades. Guests were mostly fashion industry insiders and New York’s society set. Entertainment included skits, raffles, and a pageant during which models wore historical costumes from the Costume Institute’s collection.

Diana Vreeland era

In the early 1970s Diana Vreeland, who had recently left her position as editor in chief at Vogue magazine, became special consultant to the Costume Institute. In addition to shepherding a series of noteworthy exhibitions—notably, “The World of Balenciaga” (1973) and “The Glory of Russian Costume” (1976)—Vreeland made many changes to the gala. Starting in 1972 the event was held at the Met, where dinner and dancing took place in various parts of the museum. A few of the galleries were also kept open during the party so that guests could tour the exhibitions. Vreeland also began the practice of matching the party’s theme to the exhibition’s and introduced more-opulent decor with over-the-top touches, such as having a theme-related perfume pumped into the galleries. In addition, the guest list became more celebrity-oriented: attendees included artist Andy Warhol and pop singers Diana Ross and Cher. Vreeland continued her association with the Costume Institute until her death in 1989 and is credited with turning the event into a more glamorous, exclusive party that helped draw record crowds to the exhibitions.

Anna Wintour era

In 1995 Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour became chair of the gala, and, under her leadership, the event built upon the glamor and celebrity of the Vreeland years to become one of the most exclusive and sought-after events for celebrities—from athletes to film stars to social media influencers—to attend. The gala has gained international renown and come to be regarded as “the Oscars of the East Coast.” By the mid-2000s the date of the gala had been changed to the first Monday in May. While the Costume Institute’s curator chooses each year’s exhibition, Wintour oversees and signs off on all details of the gala. In addition to paying the ticket price, all guests require Wintour’s approval. Guests who are invited by a designer are expected to wear a theme-related outfit created by the designer. In more-recent years Wintour has also instituted such rules as banning selfies and social media use (except during the red-carpet segment) and restricting guests to those age 18 and older. Furthermore, for the event’s musical entertainment, she hires famous performers, who have included Florence and the Machine, Blondie and Kanye West, Lenny Kravitz and Kacey Musgraves, and Lizzo. Four celebrities are selected each year to serve along with Wintour as hosts.

The red carpet

Over the years, the fashions paraded during the red-carpet portion of the evening have become increasingly spectacular. Women’s Wear Daily traces the start of the over-the-top fashions to 2004. That year the theme of the gala was “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century,” and model and actress Amber Valletta wore a contemporary look inspired by Marie-Antoinette. The ensemble included a Chablis-colored silk faille corset by Maggie Norris Couture, a gathered skirt by John Galliano, and an 18th-century hairdo. Since then, many outfits and fashions worn by guests have attracted both controversy and accolades. Memorable examples include singer Rihanna’s 16-foot- (4.9-meter-) long embroidered cape by Guo Pei for the 2015 “China: Through the Looking Glass” theme, entrepreneur Kim Kardashian’s custom latex beaded gown by Mugler for the 2019 “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme, and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Aurora James-designed white gown with the words “Tax the Rich” written in red across the back for the 2021 “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” theme. A number of celebrities also attempt to outdo one another with their red-carpet entrances. In 2019 actor Billy Porter, wearing a gold winged catsuit designed by the Blonds, arrived at the gala on a litter carried by six shirtless attendants, while singer and actress Lady Gaga made four outfit changes as she walked up the steps, stripping down from an oversized pink gown by Brandon Maxwell to black-sequined lingerie.

However, the fashions of the red carpet have not been without criticism. Notably, in 2015, when the theme was “China: Through the Looking Glass,” some outfits were criticized for reinforcing racist stereotypes or for drawing upon fashion traditions from Asian cultures other than China’s. In 2018 the theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” was criticized by Roman Catholic groups that considered the theme and the fashions worn to the gala as a mockery of their faith tradition. However, the Vatican had loaned numerous religious items to the exhibition, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the New York archdiocese had been among the gala’s guests that year.

Success as a fundraiser

In attendance, the most successful gala-related exhibition has been 2018’s “Heavenly Bodies,” which drew 1.65 million visitors. In 2023 the Met Gala raised nearly $22 million with its theme “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” which set a fundraising record for the gala.