For all the details on the 2021 Met Gala, hosted by Billie Eilish, Timothée Chalamet, Naomi Osaka and Amanda Gorman, click here. Full 2021 Met Gala red carpet coverage is here.
Fashion prom, also known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Met Gala in New York City, is almost here. But what even is the Met Gala, how do people get invited and, perhaps most urgently, is Beyoncé going to be at the Met Gala on May 6?! We answer all your burning Met Gala questions here.
What does Met Gala stand for?
The Met Gala is a yearly fundraiser run by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (nicknamed ‘The Met’) in NYC. It’s the most major fashion event of the year and anyone who is anyone, dahling, tries to score an invite.
Does the Met Gala have a theme?
Why yes, it does. Every year, Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s chief curator, brainstorms a theme with his team. From there, the Met Gala theme works its way through approvals to the museum’s director and president, and then to Wintour, who has the final say. “It would be difficult to do it without her support,” Bolton once said. This year’s theme, that has reportedly been in the works for years, is Camp: Notes on Fashion, which was influenced by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay, Notes of Camp. So, in short, expect it to be extra.
When is the Met Gala?
The Met Gala is always the first Monday of May. This year, the 2019 Met Gala falls on Monday, May 6.
When does the Met Gala start?
Guests typically start to arrive on the Met Gala red carpet at 7 p.m. EST.
Is the Met Gala on TV 2019?
Although the Met Ball is the Oscars of fashion, it is not televised. But while we won’t see what goes on inside the museum, we will be able to see the celebs as they walk the red carpet. (That’s the best part anyway, right?)
How can I watch the Met Gala red carpet?
E! News covers the Met Ball red carpet every year. Hosted by Giuliana Rancic, the “Live From The Red Carpet: The 2019 Met Gala Special” starts at 5 p.m. EST. But if you don’t have a TV (hello, 2019), don’t fret—E! streamed their red carpet coverage on Twitter and Facebook last year so they’re likely to do the same this time around. If all else fails, keep refreshing your Instagram page and follow the hashtag #metgala2019.
Who will Host the Met Gala?
Every year, a handful of lucky celebrities are asked to chair the event alongside Wintour. This year Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Serena Williams and Gucci designer Alessandro Michele have been selected for this honour.
What happens at the Met Gala?
Like most formal parties, the star-studded event begins with a co*cktail hour. The celebrities will walk the red carpet and have time to view the new exhibit. There will be 200 or so objects on display from as far back as the 17th century all the way to present day. “Basically, we go from sun kings to drag queens,” said Wintour at the press event in February. Designer Marjan Pejoski’s swan dress, famously worn by Björk to the 2001 Oscars, and 50 pieces borrowed from the Vatican will be among the items on display. After some shmoozing, the celebs will sit down to dinner and performances. It is rumoured that co-hosts Gaga or Styles (or if we’re really blessed, both) will be performing .
Who gets invited to the Met Gala?
According to the New York Times, there were about 550 guests at last year’s gala. But that was considered an “intimate” event and this year is going to be even more grande. It is estimated that there will be between 600 and 700 guests in attendance on Monday. In the past, almost half of guests were not in the fashion industry, but rather film. As well, major donors to the Met Gala or the museum itself tend to make the guest list.
Is Beyoncé going to the Met Gala?
Ah, Queen Bey. She’s a regular attendee of the event along with the Kardashian-Jenner clan and Blake Lively. But Beyoncé has been MIA for the last two years. Why? Glad you asked. If you remember, in 2017 she was very pregnant with her twins, Sir and Rumi, so she stayed home. Last year, she declined her invite last minute because Jay-Z surprised her with a relaxing trip before they went on their joint tour, On the Run II. Only time will tell if the power couple graces us with their presence at this year’s Met Gala.
Do celebrities pay for the Met Gala?
The event is a huge fundraiser for the Costume Institute—the only self-funded department of the Met—that raised over $12 million last year. But celebrities who walk the carpet don’t fork over the cash. Typically, a fashion brand or company buys a table—which cost a cool $370,000 last year—and they invite celebrities to join them. Usually, the table you sit at is the designer that dresses you (and no, celebs don’t tend to pay for their outfits either). And since it is an invite-only event, every single guest needs to be approved by Wintour herself.
Here are the most memorable met gala looks of all time:
1 of
Sarah Jessica Parker, 2006
Parker looked flawless in an Alexander McQueen gown with a full tulle skirt and red tartan draping. She perfectly matched the late designer who accompanied her to the 2006 Anglomania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion gala wearing a traditional kilt in the same pattern.
2 of
Cameron Diaz, 2007
Diaz wore a fuchsia Dior gown with turquoise jewellery to the 2007 event. The night’s theme was Poiret: King of Fashion and Diaz proved herself as a queen with the risky—but striking—colour combo.
3 of
Florence Welch, 2012
The British singer looked like she walked straight off the Alexander McQueen runway with the whimsical gown she wore to the 2012 Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations Met Gala.
4 of
Carey Mulligan, 2012
As co-chair of the 2012 Met Gala, Mulligan rocked a Prada gown that looked like high-fashion fish scales (in the best way possible, of course).
5 of
Gwyneth Paltrow, 2012
The Goop founder complemented her silver Prada mini with legs for days at 2012’s Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations gala.
6 of
Madonna, 2013
Madonna was made for the 2013 Met Gala’s PUNK: Chaos To Couture theme. She accessorized her Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci jacket with layered chains, ripped fishnet tights and a black bob.
7 of
Cara Delevingne, 2014
Delevingne has thoroughly convinced us to wear pants to our next fancy event. She was chic in the unexpected white trousers and sexy crop top by Stella McCartney at the Charles James: Beyond Fashion gala.
8 of
Blake Lively, 2014
This old Hollywood moment is *everything.* Ryan Reynolds’s other half wore this impossibly glamorous custom Gucci dress to the 2014 Met Gala.
9 of
Beyoncé Knowles, 2014
Queen Bey wore a sheer Givenchy dress to the 2014 Charles James: Beyond Fashion event. The ensemble is so stunning, we almost forgot that was the same night as the infamous elevator fight between her sister, Solange, and husband Jay Z. Almost.
10 of
Taylor Swift, 2014
Swift looked utterly romantic in an Oscar de la Renta gown (yes, the same one that she wore in the “Look What You Made Me Do” music video). Before Taylor couldn’t come to the phone, she rocked the petal pink dress at the 2014 Met Gala.
11 of
Emma Stone, 2014
Days after the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Stone wore this cropped pink two-piece by Thakoon to fashion prom in 2014—and we’ve been dreaming of the tonal moment ever since.
12 of
Rihanna, 2015
Rihanna was perfectly on theme when she wore this extravagant gown and matching headpiece by Chinese designer, Guo Pei, to the China: Through the Looking Glass gala in 2015.
13 of
Jennifer Lopez, 2015
J.Lo was a vision in Versace at the China: Through the Looking Glass gala; the Italian house will be dressing the newly engaged beauty again this year.
14 of
Solange Knowles, 2016
Her big sis isn’t the only Met Gala MVP in the family. Knowles’s architectural yellow ensemble by David Laport was a showstopper at the 2016 Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology gala.
15 of
Selena Gomez, 2016
Gomez shed her child-star image for good at the 2016 gala with this unexpected choice by Louis Vuitton that combined feminine silk polka dots with a leather harness and lug-soled boots.
16 of
Lupita Nyong’o, 2016
Nyong’o stunned in a low-cut peridot Calvin Klein gown at the 2016 Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology gala with a sky-high up-do she said was inspired by “sculptural hairdos from around the continent.”
17 of
Lady Gaga, 2016
And the award for “Most on Theme” goes to: Lady Gaga. Her Versace blazer and bodysuit reflected the 2016 gala’s theme, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, impeccably—and felt like pure Mother Monster.
18 of
Gisele Bündchen, 2017
No one was looking at football star Tom Brady on the Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between red carpet in 2017, that’s for sure. Bündchen rocked a slinky Stella McCartney gown with a completely open back to co-host the gala with her hubby.
19 of
Katy Perry, 2017
Another host of the Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons gala, Perry went avant-garde in an elaborate red Margiela red gown with equally elaborate veil.
20 of
Kim Kardashian West, 2018
Kardashian West’s curves definitely looked heavenly in this gold Atelier Versace gown. Her dress and dainty gold necklaces incorporated crosses to match last year’s Met Gala theme, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.
21 of
Zendaya, 2018
Zendaya looked capital-F fierce in this custom Versace gown that was inspired by (duh) St. Joan of Arc.
of
More Met Gala
What the Met Gala Theme, Camp, Really Means
It’s flamboyant, it’s OTT and it’s the realm of outsiders everywhere
The Most Memorable Met Gala Looks of All Time
From Rihanna’s 16-foot train to Zendaya’s Joan of Arc moment
Couples Who Made It Red Carpet Official at the Met Gala
We're talking #Bughead AND Hailey Baldwin and Shawn Mendes
Lena Waithe Makes a Powerful Statement at the Met Gala
She wore the symbol for LGBTQ+ rights around her shoulders
As an enthusiast with a deep knowledge of the Met Gala, I can provide detailed insights into the concepts and elements mentioned in the article about the 2021 Met Gala hosted by Billie Eilish, Timothée Chalamet, Naomi Osaka, and Amanda Gorman.
-
Met Gala Overview:
- The Met Gala, short for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala, is an annual fundraising event organized by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
- The gala takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York City and is considered the most significant fashion event of the year.
-
Met Gala Theme:
- The Met Gala features a theme each year, conceptualized by Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s chief curator.
- The theme undergoes a process of approvals, from the Costume Institute's team to the museum’s director, president, and ultimately Anna Wintour. The theme for the year mentioned in the article is "Camp: Notes on Fashion," inspired by Susan Sontag’s essay.
-
Met Gala Date and Time:
- The Met Gala consistently occurs on the first Monday of May. In the article, the date specified is Monday, May 6, for the 2019 Met Gala.
- Guests typically start arriving on the Met Gala red carpet at 7 p.m. EST.
-
Met Gala TV Coverage:
- While the Met Gala is not televised in its entirety, the red carpet coverage is available. E! News, hosted by Giuliana Rancic, covers the red carpet event with a special broadcast.
-
Met Gala Hosts:
- Each year, celebrities co-chair the event alongside Anna Wintour. In the mentioned year, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Serena Williams, and Gucci designer Alessandro Michele were selected as hosts.
-
Met Gala Schedule and Activities:
- The Met Gala begins with a co*cktail hour, followed by celebrities walking the red carpet and viewing the new exhibit.
- The event showcases around 200 objects from various periods, including Marjan Pejoski’s iconic swan dress and pieces borrowed from the Vatican.
- After the red carpet, attendees sit down for dinner and performances, with rumors of co-hosts Lady Gaga and Harry Styles potentially performing.
-
Met Gala Guest List:
- The guest list for the Met Gala is exclusive and curated by Anna Wintour. According to the New York Times, the guest list includes a mix of individuals from the fashion and film industries, as well as major donors to the Met Gala or the museum.
-
Beyoncé and Celebrity Attendance:
- The article mentions Beyoncé's attendance history, highlighting that she is a regular attendee but has been absent in recent years due to pregnancy and other engagements.
-
Met Gala Funding:
- The Met Gala serves as a significant fundraiser for the Costume Institute, raising millions of dollars annually. Celebrities don't pay to attend; instead, tables are typically purchased by fashion brands or companies.
-
Memorable Met Gala Looks:
- The article includes a list of memorable Met Gala looks from various years, showcasing iconic outfits worn by celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and others.
This comprehensive overview demonstrates a thorough understanding of the Met Gala, its traditions, themes, guest list, and the cultural significance of the event in the fashion world.
