NEW YORK — Attention all you fashionistas: it’s time for the Met Gala. Yes, the first Monday in May is coming.
Want to follow along? Here’s a quick primer on what you need to know about the palooza from A-list celebrities from film, fashion, music, sports, politics and social media.
This is complicated. Vogue has an exclusive live stream starting at 6pm ET on Vogue.com. The feed will also be available on Vogue’s digital platforms, including TikTok and YouTube.
Tons of other media will also be on site. Follow the action on E!, also from 6pm, with live broadcasts on X, TikTok, Instagram and Peacock.
The Associated Press will be live in front of the Mark Hotel, where many celebrities are preparing before heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to climb the grand staircase. This live broadcast will begin at 4:45 pm ET and will be available on YouTube and APNews.com.
Only the event’s stacked red carpet can be viewed – the gala cocktail hour and dinner are notoriously private events.
It’s a party, sure, with cocktails and dinner for about 400 guests, but it’s also a big fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute, the only museum department that needs to pay for itself. Last year, the gala raised about $22 million. Anna Wintour, the Met curator for whom part of the institute was renamed, organizes everything. No phones are allowed, which adds to the allure.
There is a dress code each year tied to the museum’s spring exhibition. Some guests, not all, attend at Wintour’s request. This year’s theme is “The Garden of Time,” inspired by JG Ballard’s 1962 short story of the same name. It’s a soft fashion question, considering how specific last year’s theme was: all things Karl Lagerfeld. Florals, and more florals, are expected this time. Vintage will probably be big too.
It’s called “Sleeping Beauties: Awakening Fashion”. But we’re not talking about fairy tales or Disney princesses. It includes 250 items from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, including some garments rarely seen in public and so fragile they must be kept under glass. The curators wanted to involve all the senses, including smell. They worked with a “scent artist.” And there is one item of clothing that actually grows. Part of the idea is to pay homage to the natural world. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday and runs until September 2nd.
Being tapped by Wintour as co-president is a big deal. This year’s class is Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth. It’s Hemsworth’s first Met Gala. Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, and Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe, are honorary chairs. Companies are also sponsors of galas and exhibitions.
Who will attend is top secret, but Rihanna revealed she will be there. She will likely be accompanied by her partner A$AP Rocky. Other high-profile partners likely to attend because their high-profile partners will host: Ben Affleck and Tom Holland. Lily Gladstone said she will attend. Who we want to see: Ayo Edebiri. Taylor Swift appears not to be, and her boyfriend Travis Kelce definitely won’t be there. Dua Lipa is going.
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