For anyone that opens up their social media or a paper every once and again, the Met Gala is a familiar topic. It’s not only the red carpet of the year, but a very interesting piece of culture. We will delve into the history of this event, the insides and what this year’s edition holds for us in this article.
Tale as old as time
The Met Gala is actually short for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala. The ball, as some call it, is an annual fundraising for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. In 1948, Eleonor Lambert, a powerful fashion publicist, was the one to have founded it. The initial goal was to raise money for the newly established Costume Institute and mark the opening of its annual exhibition.
Initially a humble dinner event attended by New York’s society and fashion industry insiders, the Met Gala has evolved into a powerful media event. It is responsible of bringing together very affluent people around the world, uniting pop culture with art and history. Anna Wintour is mostly responsible for the event to become the beacon the pop culture phenomenon, making it fashion’s equivalent of the Oscars.
The Met Gala is so exclusive that usually not even celebrities buy their tickets. They are invited by brands that buy entire tables for prices as high as half a million (allegedly) and get to also dress them for the occasion. To conceal what goes on behind the scenes from the public as much as possible, there is a strict phone policy: taking photos inside the venue isn’t allowed, so bathroom selfies have become iconic occasions for fans to get a glimpse.
Is this too much… For the Met Gala?
Each year the event is held on the first Monday of May, so that makes Monday, the 5th of May 2025 the day of the 2025 Met Gala. For each edition, there is a different theme for the dress code. The themes are tied to the Costume Institute’s annual exhibit and have become part of the ball’s DNA.
Once again, Anna Wintour has played a big responsibility in making the themes a central element of the event. Even though themes were starting to get traction since the 70s, under Anna’s leadership they’ve become one of the hottest topics of discussion. In recent years, social media has put even more emphasis on the dress code, as people online break down every look.
It has become a trend for avid users of the online space to post themselves reacting to the celebrities walking the Met Gala carpet. For most people the event falls at night, so it has even become a trend to post silly captions on videos of them prepping to watch the livestreams that go “Me getting ready to be a high fashion critic (while wearing my pjs)” or “What I’m wearing while commenting on everyone’s looks” and it’s a house-robe.
This year’s edition
Starting from the co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala, it is safe to say that we are in for a treat. Alongside Anna Wintour, Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, A$AP Rocky and LeBron James are going to oversee the ball. A host committee has also been announced, including Black luminaries from different fields: Simone Biles, Spike Lee, Doechii, Usher, Tyla and others.
This year’s costume Institute’s exhibit is going to be “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”. It is drawing inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. It features 12 sections, each representing a characteristic that defines dandy style: Ownership, Presence, Distinction, Disguise, Freedom, Champion, Respectability, Jook (defined in Zora Neale Hurston’s “Characteristics of Negro Expression”—an important reference for the exhibiton—as a space for dancing, drinking, and other leisure activities), Heritage, Beauty, Cool, and Cosmopolitanism.
In consequence, the theme for the carpet will be “Tailored for You”, a nod to the exhibition’s focus on menswear and suiting that’s sure to bring out the sartorial creativity of this year’s attendees. It is the Institute’s first show devoted solely to men’s wear since “Bravehearts: Men in Skirts” in 2003, and the first ever to feature only designers of colour.
The hosts of the Met Gala livestream this year are going to be singer and actor Teyana Taylor, actor and producer La La Anthony, and actor and comedian Ego Nwodim. The broadcast can be found on Vogue’s digital platforms, as well as YouTube.
Drawing a line
To wrap it up, it is safe to say that this year’s Met Gala, with its huge anticipation is going to be the talk of May. The powerful theme, the iconic co-chairs and the potential that Rihanna will attend are making for an incredible night at the Met.
Speaking of co-chairs, LeBron James was in doubt of attending if Lakers were to go through in the Western Conference semifinals, but Timberwolves stopped that from happening. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton will have to take the redeye from Miami to the Big Apple in order to make it in time for the event. He is going to race for Ferrari in the Vice City on Sunday and head straight to New York to fulfil his Met Gala co-chair duties.
Featured image: Getty images via Vogue.
