The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City.
The event, which is also known as the Met Ball, takes place on the first Monday in May and is attended by a mix of celebrities, fashion designers, socialites, and industry insiders.
Each year, the event is based on a specific theme and attendees are expected to dress according to that theme.
The Met Gala is widely considered to be one of the biggest nights in fashion and is often referred to as the “Oscars of the East Coast.”
The most famous Met Gala themes
The theme in 2018 was ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’. It explored the influence of Catholicism on fashion throughout history and inspired attendees to incorporate religious iconography into their outfits.
Another iconic theme was the one introduced in 2019. It was named ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’ and was inspired by Susan Sontag’s essay ‘Notes on Camp’. Attendees were encouraged to embrace theatrical, exaggerated and over-the-top fashion.
Back in 2014, the Met Gala celebrated the work of American couturier Charles James and inspired attendees to embrace his sculptural and architectural approach to fashion with the theme ‘Charles James: Beyond Fashion’.
A couple of years later, the ‘Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology’ theme explored the intersection of fashion and technology and inspired attendees to incorporate high-tech elements into their outfits.
One of the most interesting themes was introduced in 2013. Named ‘Punk: Chaos to Couture’, it explored the impact of punk on high fashion and encouraged attendees to embrace edgy, rebellious fashion.
What is the 2023 Met Gala theme?
This year, the theme is in honor of the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, the dress code is ‘In honor of Karl…’
The Met Gala is celebrating the opening of The Costume Institute’s new spring exhibition, which is ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’. It is on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art from May 5 to July 16.