The Met Gala: An Overview

Known to many as “The Met Gala”, one of fashion’s most iconic events took place this past week, marking its nearly 73 anniversary. For those who didn’t get to watch it, or just might simply need a rundown, don’t worry, we have you covered:

 

What is the Met Gala?

The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event hosted for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. Each year, celebrities and influencers from all over gather to show off their most extravagant, extraordinary, and eye-catching outfits and fashions, based on that year’s theme.

 

The Guest List:

While the average 600 attendees of the Met Gala are too many to name, a handful of the participants this year were first-timers, such as Addison Rae, Dixie D’Amelio, Emma Chamberlain, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Olivia Rodrigo, Madison Beer, Megan Thee Stallion and more. 

Several of these first-timer names sparked controversy amongst others, such as Rae & D’Amelio, for being invited to such a prestigious event with their “influencer” or “TikTok star” title. 

Others sparked controversy for their outfit decisions, which will be previewed below. 

 

The (Most Memorable) Outfits:

Kim Kardashian: Questionably the most memorable outfit of the night, Kim Kardashian showed up to the Met Gala in a head-to-toe black ensemble from Balenciaga that turned heads in both love and confusion. With the theme being “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”, Kim posted the look on social media with the caption “What’s more American than a T-shirt head to toe?!” 

 

Lil Nas X: Lil Nas X turned heads with his 3-part fit-for-royalty outfit by Versace, beginning with a massive gold cloak to walk down the carpet, then removing the cloak to reveal an all-gold suit of armor. One final transition led the rapper to show a one-piece shimmery jumpsuit, which he sported for the rest of the evening. In an interview with Vogue, Lil Nas X stated that the outfit represented him breaking out of his shell little by little when he first got into the industry. 

 

Kim Petras: A questionable but fun outfit, Petras stunned the audience after entering the Gala with an ensemble with a horse head piece attached to the bodice. While it has not been stated why this choice was made, an outfit of this capacity deserved to be mentioned in this list in all its horse-girl glory.

 

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez: Many people rocked statement outfits at this year’s Met Gala, and AOC was no exception. The politician decided to show up at her first with something to make a lasting impression, appearing at the event in a stunning white gown with the words “Tax the Rich” in a large font across the back. 

 

Iman: The model appeared at the Met Gala in a stunning larger-than-life outfit fit for a goddess. The dress and headpiece were embodied in gold head to toe, and featured an all-gold jumpsuit underneath. Designer Harris Reed said the outfit took 400 hours to make in an interview with Vogue. Despite having attended several Met Galas in the past, Iman’s outfit this year definitely took the cake for her most breathtaking yet. It was also potentially one of the best outfits for social distancing of the night, adding some positive points.

 

Kendall Jenner: In likeness of Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady” Jenner sported a sparkly dress and choker set from Givenchy. Matthew Williams, the designer of the dress, said in an interview with Vogue that Givenchy tied into American culture with America’s frequent usage of French couture.