Met Gala

Since 1948, the Met Gala has served as the primary fundraiser for the Met Museum's Costume Institute. Fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, the woman behind Press Week (which morphed into New York Fashion Week), established the Met Gala, which marks the opening of the annual Costume Institute exhibit.  

In 1972, Diana Vreeland, the former editor in chief of Vogue, became a consultant for the Costume Institute. Under her tenure, more celebrities — including Cher, Liza Minnelli and Elizabeth Taylor — began attending the themed gala, alongside the New York society set.  

Anna Wintour became lead chair in 1995, and has held the reins since then — save for 1996, when fashion editor Liz Tilberis led the event. Wintour curates the guest list herself, approving attendees. Condé Nast, where Wintour is chief content officer, sponsors the event. 

The Met Gala has been graced by many designers, including Marc Jacobs, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons and Karl Lagerfeld, and A-list celebrities, including Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. 

The elaborate red carpet moments really started in 2004, when the theme was “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century.” That year, model and actress Amber Valletta wore a Marie Antoinette punk rock-inspired look that year, with a nude corset by Maggie Norris Couture and skirt by John Galliano, complete with an 18th-century hairstyle. 

Since 2005, the Met Gala has been held the first Monday in May, with exceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2023, tickets to the event cost $50,000, versus $50 when the event first started. 

Met Gala looks often go viral on social media — Rihanna's 2015 yellow fur trim Guo Pei robe is one example. Other notable looks have included Lady Gaga's four-in-one Brandon Maxwell outfit-change moment in 2019, and 2023, when Doja Cat dressed as a cat (channeling the theme, "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," with a look inspired by Lagerfeld's beloved cat, Choupette).