The world-renowned met gala, or the met ball, is one of the most popular annual fundraising events for the metropolitan museum of Art’s costume institute in New York City. This high-profile event is held on the first Monday of May every year. Each year all the renowned celebrities gather at one place dressed in avant-garde outfits to celebrate the Met ball.
Each year a theme has to be followed for the event based on a particular exhibition or aspect of fashion. Met Gala is curated by the Editor-in-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, who herself handpicks the guest list for each year’s met ball and for the strict rules of Met Ball.
1. The History of Met Gala
The met gala is actually a fundraising event whose beneficiary is the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The event initially started as a small, low-key gathering, with the tickets costing just $50. Over the years, The Met Gala has become a prominent feature and one of the most important events in the fashion calendar.
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, the event attracted more prominent names in the fashion world and took a turnover when Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour took over the chair of the event.
2. The Expensive venture for a table
The met gala is the event with the term expensiveness as an understatement. The ticket to the event can alone cost from $ 30,000 to $ 35,000, but the event is known for one of the most expensive ventures, and that is to purchase a table at the event.
Securing a table at the met ball, the table can cost from $275,000 to $ 500,000, which depends on the location and the size of the table.
3. The scrutiny of the Guest list for the event
The guest list for the Met Gala event is one of the most important tasks, which is curated by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour who is known for her discerning taste and influence in the fashion industry.
The guests are picked by considering their significant cultural or social influence and who will likely attract attention and give media coverage to the event.
4. The number of attendees
Met Gala is an event of meeting, connecting, and socializing, and for that, there is a number of guests who can attend the event. Mostly it was 200 to 300 people, but in recent years the guest’s number has reached 500.
Anna Wilton, while making the guest list, mostly keep the number of guest up to 500 and meticulously plan each and every guest name who will appear for the event.
5. The no selfie and social media rule.
Anna Wilton is no less than an old-timer traditionalist; therefore, she is very secretive about the event insights so that any part of the event is not spoiled until the event ends.
Anna makes sure that everyone who attends and even the ones working for the Met. Even the caterers’ phones are confiscated until the event ends to maintain the secretive order of the event. But still, there are celebrities who broke the rules, for instance, the famous Kylie Jenner group photo from the Met Gala bathroom.
6. The strict menu of the Met
For the event, the menu is handpicked By Anna Wilton, and she makes sure everything goes with the theme of the event. One of the most intriguing things about the menu of the Met is that there is no Palsey, onion, garlic, red wine, and even no bruschetta.
The reason for the ban on some of the food items is that if Parsely is eaten, there is a high chance it will be stuck into the teeth and can ruin the photos. For onion and ginger, they can give bad breath, and the toppings of Bruschetta can easily fall off while eating, which can ruin the million dollars dresses of celebrities.
For the red wine, it can ruin dresses and gowns by giving a stain to it and ruining the mood of celebrities. At the 2016 Met, Karlie Kloss had to cut off her white floor-length gown into a mini dress because of the unfortunate red wine spill.
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7. Some people are banned and blacklisted from the met
Though Met Gala is all about fashion, glamour, and a high-profile gathering, it turns out it’s not a cup of tea for everyone. Being on the guest list of Anna Wintour is not guaranteed, and over that is the ban and blacklisted of some celebrities, while some chose not to attend the Met ball again after attending once.
When Anna Wintour was asked who the person he will never call again to attend the Met Gala is, she replied That former president Donald Trump to which Anna has never given a specific reason, but her word is the final say. The other is the “Project Runway” host Tim Gunn, who in 2016 confirmed that he would no longer be invited to the Met because of his “open war” with Anna Wintour.
8. There is an Age limit
As the guest list is curated by taking the most important task and most difficult one too, there is no surprise if there is an Age restriction to attend the event. In 2017, Anna Wintour, through the official website, made an official statement that no celeb under 18 would be allowed to attend the Met Gala.
Though no official reason was given, it was ruled out as The Costume Institute faced backlash when Elle Fanning was captured toasted with a glass of white wine as that time she was only 19 years old at that time.
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9. The process behind the interpretation of the theme
The Theme of the Met Gala is always creative and has a message behind it every year. The interpretation of the theme for the Met Gala involves the collaboration between the event organizers, designers, and the attendees themselves. Each year, The Met Gala follows a specific theme or concept for the event, which influences the fashion choices of the attendees.
As soon as the process of the event begins with the announcement of the theme by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is often in conjunction with an upcoming exhibition or cultural concept. The theme is never specified, as it can be inspired by various factors such as art movements, historical eras, or even abstract concepts.
10. The inside of the event
As soon as the celebrities walk out the red carpet, after being captured by the media and paparazzi, each celebrity greets Vogue Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and the co-chairs alongside her; this year, Dua Lipa, Penélope Cruz, Roger Federer, and Michaela Coel were the co-chair for the Met 2023.
After the greetings, the celebrities can go to see the exhibit of new costume designs while enjoying cocktails, music, and a lavish dinner.
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11. The high-security measures
Most celebrities come in designs with lots of original jewels that it is made sure that the security is tight to avoid any harm or unfortunate event. Also, due to the high-profile evening, security is taken seriously.
As the celebs walk into the Met, they have to go through a security check with a bag check, metal detectors, surveillance cameras, motion detectors, and other advanced technology. Security measures are taken to ensure that there is no security breach and that only authorized personnel are there inside the event.
12. The no-smoking zone
With High security, smoking is also prohibited inside the Met, which is reasonable as the Event is held inside the Museum with artifacts. Even inspectors from the health department are in attendance for the event to take care of the same.
For celebrities, a designated smoking zone is provided just in front of the building, farther away from the event but none at the exhibition or event area. Though some celebrities don’t care about the rule and were seen smoking in the bathroom of the Met, which the Donors for the Museum didn’t find pleasant and said it is a disgrace to the museum.
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13. The celebs who don’t attend the event
The Met is the biggest fashion event, with media capturing every inch of the event, but to this fame and glamour, some celebs decided to say “no.”
This includes Zayn Malik, the former one-direction singer, saying that he would choose to be at home and do something more productive than dressing in expensive outfits. Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes, Amy Schumer, Tina Fey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Demi Lovato also decided not to go again to the Met as for them; it was an “un-fun” event; they preferred to stay at home and avoid the crowded public.
14. Picking up the Plus ones
Anna Wintour, while choosing the plus ones, makes sure that the additional guests not only complement the guests but also contribute to the overall atmosphere of the event.
Getting to the guest list is hard, but the plus ones getting to the event should also fit into the taste of Anna Wintour. As Anna is in charge of the event’s seating arrangement, therefore she chooses the plus ones meticulously, too, with the celebs notifying Anna before the event about their plus ones, and they’re being approved by Anna will be out of a woodblock.
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15. The seating arrangement
The seating arrangement for over 500 guests is surely a big task that Anna Wintour and her team don’t take lightly. In a documentary, it was shown how Anna made the seating arrangements for the Met with her team by placing the pieces on the chart on the wall.
The seating is mostly done by the celebs seated next to the ones wearing the dresses by the same designers or has the same fashion house, and couples and friends are separated.
16. The spouses don’t sit together
The table and seating arrangement for the event is made carefully by the Vogue team with fashion designers and the editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
Anna makes sure that if someone is coming with their spouses or some plus ones, they don’t sit together as she believes that the point of sitting with the person you know and talking every day at an event of socializing is. It is taken into consideration who sat with whom previously and who is not on good terms with the other celeb.
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17. The keen eye for each detail of the event
The arrangement for the Met Gala is a tedious process in which Anna Wintour is involved in every process. According to the late André Leon Talley, the editor-at-large at Vogue Magazine, in a documentary told
that Anna pays keen attention to every single thing, from the napkins to the forks to the lighting. Each and every inch of the event involves Anna and has to be approved by her.
18. The slits in gowns are not just fashion but are necessary
At the Met, celebs come in gowns with heavy jewelry and details. Most of these gowns are made to floor length, with some having long trails with them, which can make it difficult for them to walk with ease or to climb the stairs, and for that reason, the slits are made necessary.
The slit can range in length from just above the knee to the thigh or even higher, which can provide ease of movement for the celebs to walk or dance comfortably without tripping or getting tangled in the fabric.
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19. The French service
The Met Gala is an event of glamour and details, and therefore, food can’t be left behind. The servicing done at the event is the French service, also known as à la française, which is a traditional style of formal dining used by the European royal and aristocratic households for years.
The service includes the process in which various cuisines and courses are served simultaneously to the celebrities at their tables by a team of waiters. Mike Hartman, who had previously worked with the met gala caterers Olivier Cheng Catering and Events, said in an interview that the servicing is really nerve wreaking as they have to hand serve each item from the menu to the celebrities’ plates.
20. The Red Carpet of Met Gala
The most iconic moment and buzz of the event is the red carpet of the Met Gala, where the iconic moments of the celebs happen. The red carpet is typically set up outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the event takes place. It is a long, wide stretch of carpet beautifully crafted and designed each year where the photographers, reporters, and other media personnel captures the arrivals of the guests.
This year,2023, The red carpet of the Met has made a buzz among the Indian media as the carpet was designed and made in Kerala by a local company Neytt by Extraweave, with over 40 workers working on the carpet for over 60 days. The carpet is stretched to 7000 sq m and is woven with natural fibers. The same company also designed the carpet for The Met Gala 2022.
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21. What Happens to the gowns after the event?
The gowns worn by the guests are mostly returned to the designers who created them. Many of the gowns are one-of-a-kind pieces and are custom-made for individuals, which are very often valuable and carefully handled. One of them is the Marilyn Monroe iconic dress which was worn by Kim Kardashian for only a short time period as it was too delicate.
After the Met Gala event, the gowns are either returned to the designers who created them or are put on display as part of an exhibition or museum collection and even put on sale by the designers.
22. The timeline of the Met
The met gala started in 1948, and for a start, it didn’t have any theme to be followed and was introduced in 1973 “The World of Balenciaga” when in 1971 Diana Vreeland signed as a special consultant after resigning from her post as the editor-in-chief at Vogue.
The Themes of Met Gala over the years from 1971: The Fashion Plate to the 1999 Rock style and the 2023 Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. Each year met gala theme is based on the trends of fashion, art, culture, and also social issues.
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23. The criticism faced by Met 2023
The recent Met Event has gained attention not for the glamour but for other reasons. One of them is that most of the celebrities came to the event breaking the most prestigious rule not to follow the theme. For This year’s theme, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” most of the celebrities walked on the red carpet without following the theme of the event, while most of the Hollywood celebs didn’t attend the event, including Selena Gomez and Blake Lively.
The theme of the Met has also made headlines as Jemmica Jamil calls out the celebrities for attending the Met Gala and paying Homage to the “Known Bigot: Karl Lagerfeld”.
Jamil Jemmica wrote on her Instagram that most of the top-notch celebrities gather to celebrate the man who is known for his public cruelty towards women, fat people, immigrants, and sexual assault survivors. This statement by Jemmica is also taken into account as the reason why most of the celebrities didn’t attend the 2023 Met Gala.
24. Anne Wintour’s favorite met gala looks
The Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, talked about her favorite Met Gala looks of the celebrities who attended the event over the years.
- From 1974, Bianca Jagger in Halston and Cher in Bob Mackie
- In 1999, Liv Tyler and McCartney, who came in shirts, stitched themselves for the rock style because they didn’t know what to wear.
- From 2006 Sarah Jessica Parker in Alexander McQueen
- In 2009 Blake Lively in Versace
- In 2010, Oprah Winfrey in Oscar de Renta
- In 2012, Beyonce in Givenchy
- From 2015 Rihanna in Guo Pei, Grace Coddington, and the Vogue team in Michael Kors
- From 2018, Rihanna in Maison Margiela, Chadwick Boseman in Versace, Frances McDormand in Valentino
- In 2019, Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell
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25. The celebrities’ fashion and glamour for the met
The celebrities start preparing for the meeting a year before. Even if the celebrities don’t know whether they will be invited or not, they still prepare for the event with their most creative, expensive, and top-of-the-world dresses for the met ball, making sure it follows the theme of the event.
At every event, all the celebrities come up with their most unique ideas, which make headlines each year. For the 2015 Met, Rihanna stepped on the red carpet with a stunning design by Guo Pei, a legendary Chinese designer, and making the dress took over two years. Not only Rihana but celebrities like The Kardashians, Blake Lively, and Lil Nas have been in the headlines over the years.
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Met Gala over the years has stunned the whole world with celebrities’ glamour and fashion. Each year not just celebrities but all fashion lovers wait for the world’s largest fashion week, the Met Gala. With a rich history, its evolving themes and the unforgettable moments of the red carpet; the Met Gala continues to captivate the world with its extravagant glamour and serve as a stage for artistic expression.
