It has been weeks since the 2018 Met Gala and I still can't stop thinking about Rihanna's look. God, it was a work of art (no pun intended here). Truth be told, I don't know why Lily Collins was vastly underappreciated that night; her look was my second favorite.
I look forward to this even every year. With my popcorn, I sit in front of the TV and gaze at all the designers' impeccable creations. Most of the time it leaves me marveling at what I would wear, had I miraculously been invited to attend - or if I'd come up with $30,000 to buy a ticket with Anna Wintour's approval. But while I've consumed myself with the heavenly fashion of the Met Gala, I couldn't help but wonder: what actually happens inside? The mystery had been eating at me for quite some time now. We see a televised event of the fashion on the red carpet and then it just ends after that. Why?
Also known as the Met Ball, the Met Gala is an annual fundraising event that takes place on the first Monday of May for New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala. It houses the largest collection of fashion in the world. In 2017, 12 million dollars was raised for the department.
But what actually happens inside is apparently a huge secret. Not even the New York Times knows. Guests are strictly forbidden to bring their phones in, as well as forbidden from posting photos beyond what is shown on the red carpet on social media. Although it doesn't seem like the celebrities are too keen on following the rules.
Once the lucky guests make their way inside they have the opportunity to tour the museum and get an exclusive look at the opening of the Costume Institute exhibition before it is open to the public. Shortly after they are then are treated to a dinner and several performances.
Essentially what happens inside is a celebration of fashion and the fashion industry. It is considered the Oscars of the fashion world. Curators of the Costume Institute have expressed that in the 19th-century fashion was quickly dismissed as art and has been frequently looked down upon in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met Gala is what proves them all wrong.
Each celebrity has been chosen to wear a gown by designers. It's like assignments.
- André Leon Talley
Each designer brings his own muse. A singer, a friend, a model, an actress. You bring the person that most represents your aesthetic.
- Riccardo Tisci
In The First Monday in May, a documentary on Netflix, it is revealed that Anna Wintour understands that high fashion, when it's paired with a celebrity it "becomes something bigger than both" and "that attention accrues to the reputation of the museum."
Although we may not know what exactly happens the night of the Met Gala, I think it's important to know that the event certainly does draw attention to the details and hard work that goes into creating the looks that celebrities wear. Fashion, as well as the Costume Institute, rightfully so, deserves to be seen as art.
