For all fashionistas, pop-culture enthusiasts, and lovers of Art, there is one Monday every year to look forward to: The first Monday of May, infamously known as the day of The Met Gala. The Met Gala is the annual haute couture fundraising event, in which proceeds benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Birthed as a charity function, The Met Gala, historically known as The Costume Institute Benefit, has evolved into a star-studded, glamorous, ode to Haute Couture, to be religiously hosted at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The “Met”) on the Upper East Side. Consensus says that The Met Gala is, without a doubt, the most prestigious social event that bridges the world of fashion, the world of celebrities, and the world of art.
1948: The First Met Gala
The first Met Gala took place in 1948, pioneered by Eleanor Lambert. Lambert was a fashion publicist, tasked with organizing a fundraiser for the nascent Costume Institute. The first Met Gala was endorsed as a midnight supper, with tickets priced at $50, and – compared to more modern themes – a simple theme of “fashion pleasure party.” The guest list favored the members of New York’s High Society, families who exuded prestige and wealth. It did not take place at The Met, but rather The Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Present day, the Costume Institute is a self-funding curatorial department with The Met, dedicated to fashion and costume collections. This iconic institute has a most impressive repertoire of fashion exhibits that explore themes in fashion history, culture, and design; Spanning from vintage, to provocative, to futuristic.
1973: A Turning Point in The Met Gala
1973 is one of the most momentous years in The Met Gala history, by account of the acclaimed American Fashion Editor, Dianne Vreeland. Vreeland’s fashion expertise was cultivated at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, which transferred to her efforts as a consultant at The Costume Institute.
In this year, the Met Gala localized to The Met, and began to dedicate its night of glamor and fundraising to a theme. The first iconic theme was dedicated to “The World of Balenciaga.” As the Met Gala gained themes and prominence, its legendary guest list upscaled as well to include the hottest celebrities and Hollywood personnel. What once began as a subtle, almost quite luxury, fundraising affair, began to transform into an all-star soirée of celebrities, models, and artists, in addition to the high class society.
Many of the cherished themes paid homage to legendary fashion designers, such as Chanel, Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurant, and Versace. Some other themes were met with controversy; Some of the notably disputed included Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and The Catholic Imagination from 2018, and China: Through the Looking Glass, from 2015. Both of these themes faced some backlash from the public, and accusations of cultural appropriation.
Today, the Met Gala is as Anticipated as ever
At the helm of the Met Gala preparations is none other than Anna Wintour, who took over the efforts of Vreeland after she passed away. Like Vreeland, Wintour has made her mark on this iconic event, as she made the executive decision to move the charity events’ previous time of the year from December, to the first Monday of May.
Wintour also approves the guest list, and even approves what designers the most prominent attendees shall wear on the red carpet. With every year, the fashion at The Met Gala gives a new meaning to the word “extravagance,” and pushes the boundaries of the meaning “haute couture.” With the reputation of being the biggest celebrity fashion event of the year, we expect nothing less than ostentatious costume.
As May approaches, this year’s Met Gala theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” dedicated to spark a conversation about Black Dandyism, and the historical influence and significance of Black Style, with a particular emphasis on menswear. Specifically, this year will draw inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, a cultural history literature published in 2009. The Co-Chairs of this year consist of Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams, along with honorary Co-Chair Lebron James.
World Bride Magazine Presents Legacy Ball of Harlem
In conjunction with the Harlem Renaissance Hotel, World Bride Magazine is hosting the Legacy Ball of Harlem, on Monday May 5, 2025. This ball will celebrate the global significance of The Harlem Renaissance and how it has impacted all sections of our culture, especially fashion, beauty, music, and the arts. This will be a glamorous evening that includes a red carpet, a fashion show, an awards ceremony, drinking, dancing, and more. There will also be a special guest of honor, Harlem royalty and author, A’lelia Bundles.
More more information, please visit: https://worldbridemagazine.com/wbm-events/
