Met Gala 2024: Everything you Need to Know about the Fashion Event of the Year

Every year, the Met Gala in New York takes place on the first Monday in May and is accompanied by the opening of the main exhibition of the Costume Institute.

Created in 1948, the Met Gala was for a long time reserved for the very high society of New York, but it was the editor-in-chief of VogueAnna Wintour, over it in 1995 to turn it into an event “people” a planet adapted to the age of social networks. Even as a guest, the ticket is very expensive: in 2023, $50,000 for a place at the dinner and from $300,000 per table paid by a sponsor.

The stars of fashion, showbiz, sports and politics of the world paid tribute, on May 1, 2023, in luxury and luxury, to the “Kaiser” Karl Lagerfeldhe died in 2019, at one of the most exclusive parties on the planet.

Here’s what we know about this big social gathering, scheduled for May 6, where the stars will parade in unusual clothes.

What is the dress code ?

The gala’s dress code is the awaited information for fashionistas who stamp their feet at the bottom of the museum’s steps to catch a glimpse of the stars. This year it will be “The Garden of Time” (The Garden of Time) which refers to a short story of the same name by British science fiction writer JG Ballard, on the ephemeral nature of beauty.

What a dress A code allows great designers to put their imagination at the service of the costumes worn by the stars and the ascent up the steps of the Met is, every time, the occasion for a contest of sartorial infatuation, as in 2021, when the star of the reality TV star Kim Kardashian arrived completely covered in black, including her face.

Who is in the chair?

Actress Zendaya, singer Jennifer Lopez, Australian actor Chris Hemsworth and Puerto Rican prince of Latin rap Bad Bunny co-chaired the Metropolitan Museum’s gala evening. Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, and Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe, will be honorary chairs.

As every year, they will accompany you on the steps of the Met, supported by Central Park on the 5th avenue de Manhattan, high priest of events and fashion, editor-in-chief of the magazine VogueAnna Wintour.

Where do you see the night?

The live stream is presented by Vogue and broadcast it live on its digital platforms as well as on TikTok and YouTube. This is the magazine’s fourth live stream of the Met Gala red carpet, which takes place on Monday 6 May from midnight, French time.

It will be hosted by actress Gwendoline Christie, producer and actress La La Anthony and the model Ashley Graham. Content creator Emma Chamberlain, special correspondent for Vogue, interviews with some of the biggest stars on the red carpet.

What does the Costume Institute exhibit?

This philanthropic evening, where stars gather in extraordinary outfits, takes place every year to coincide with the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring show. In 2023, the Met pointed out “To date, and since Met administrator Anna Wintour took over as director, the gala has raised $223.50 million dollars for the Uniform Institute” and provides the department with its main source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, construction, etc.

This year, the theme of the show is Sleeping Beauties – Fashion Reawakening (Sleeping Beauty – wake up fashion) on display from 10 to 2 May September 2024. Emphasis will be placed on the museum’s impressive collection once again with the intention of reviving the oldest or most fragile garments. In total, 250 items of clothing and accessories – visually connected through the theme of nature – also serves as a metaphor for the timeless nature of fashion. The sensory abilities of these masterpieces will be in focus : visitors will be able to smell the fragrant stories of the floral patterned hats ; touch the gallery walls with embroidery and knowledge – via Pepper’s Ghost Optical Illusion Technique – a hobbled skirt restricting a woman’s step at the beginning of the 20th century century

For Max Hollein, the general director of the Met, the exhibition “rpushing the limits of our imagination and inviting us to experience the multi-sensory aspects of clothing, those aspects that fade away and are lost after entering a museum collection as object. Pour Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of the Institute of Costumes, “When a garment enters our collection, its status is irrevocably changed. What was once a vital part of one’s life experience is now a moving “work of art” that cannot be worn, heard, touched or smelled. The exhibition seeks to bring these works of art to life by awakening their sensory potential through a range of technologies.”

Spring-summer 2024 “Undercover” dress, by Jun Takahashi. (NICK KNIGHT 2024 / MET)