Fashion’s biggest night took place on May 6, 2024 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. While this notorious event is watched and celebrated across the world, many are unfamiliar with the event’s purpose and planning that goes into this spectacle. Here is the inside scoop for this year’s Met Gala! 

What is the Met Gala? 

Since 1948, the Met Gala has served as a fundraising event for the museum’s Costume Institute. This curated portion of the museum serves as a display for coveted fashion items within history. Each year, the team at Vogue Magazine chooses a theme to celebrate this event. Since the first gala, ticket prices have risen from $50 to a whopping $75,000 per ticket. Oftentimes, fashion houses will buy seats for the event and will invite celebrities to attend, dressed in their wear. But don’t be fooled– this event is invitation only! Editor-in-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, is the curator behind the guest list for the Met Gala and spends countless months planning not only the event, but the exclusive guest list. 

The Costume Institute

Inside this year’s exhibition, curators reawakened iconic fashion pieces as a celebration of the progression of time within the fashion industry. Many of these pieces are so fragile that they can no longer be displayed on mannequins. With a blend of modern technology, several of these pieces displayed within the exhibit reflected natural elements such as roses, grass, and even insects found within a garden. Some notable designer pieces that will be displayed within the exhibit include collections from Dior, Schiaparelli, and even Givenchy. The exhibition opens on May 10, 2024. 

Inside This Year’s Met Gala 

This year’s Met Gala was themed Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening of Fashion with the dress code centered around the Garden of Time. Throughout the night, notable celebrities and attendees graced the carpet in their interpretation of the reawakening of fashion. This year’s gala featured many recreations of coveted archive looks. Singer Lana Del Rey wore a custom Alexander McQueen gown that referenced a previous piece done by the house in 2006. Other attendees followed this revival trend, such as actress Zendaya, who wore a custom Maison Margiela gown that was a reference to a previous piece done by John Galliano for Dior in 1999. But past the steps of the Met, the true magic of the night came to life as guests were transported into a garden wonderland of green and aquamarine. The hidden performance of the night was revealed later in the evening with singer Ariana Grande taking the stage to perform some old and new hit songs. She opened her performance with a rendition of the song “Once Upon A Dream” found within the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. Some other songs performed by her included “Into You”, “7 Rings”, and new tracks from her latest album Eternal Sunshine. Throughout her performance, she wore Maison Magiela couture from the brand’s latest collection. Her performance ended with the duet song “When You Believe” alongside Wicked costar, Cynthia Ervio. 

For a closer look at this year’s exhibition, click here!