The Met Gala is known as one of the most prominent, criticised and publicised events in the public calendar. However, it hasn’t always had the level of notoriety that it has today.
The first Met Gala occurred in 1948 and was organised by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert. The event aimed to raise money for the newly founded Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s in New York City. Throughout the foundational years of the Gala, it was held at many notable venues, including Central Park and the Rainbow Room. It existed as another event in the charitable calendar in the lives of Manhattan’s high society. The tickets cost $50, about $500 today, and the prominent themes had not been introduced yet.
Diana Vreeland was the person who changed the course of the Met Gala and shaped it into the monumental event that we glimpse today. After her firing from the editor-in-chief of American Vogue in 1971, Vreeland was appointed as a consultant to the Costume Institute. As a consultant, she was put in charge of the annual fundraising Met Gala. Under her leadership, the make-up of the guests changed to include more celebrities, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Elton John, Liza Minelli and Cher. Also, she introduced themes to the Met Gala in 1973. She organised 17 galas from 1972 through to her death in 1989.
During the Vreeland years, the Met Gala became increasingly known amongst the general population. The attendance of celebrities made the Gala the red carpet event of the fashion calendar. Unlike today, the workforce of the fashion industry and students were able to afford tickets to the afterparty, which many celebrities did not attend. Tickets cost $100, which is about $550 today. However, The Gala did not reach the height of spectacle seen today until Anna Wintour came to charge in 1995.
Anna Wintour has carefully crafted the Met Gala to be one of the most exclusive events in the world. She has been the chairperson of the Gala since 1995, except 1996 and 2004. When Wintour started as chairperson, tickets to the event cost $10,000, but to make the event more exclusive, she increased the ticket cost in 2014 to $30,000. Furthermore, she introduced a social media ban in 2015, so the rest of the world has a minimal idea of what actually happens once the famous guests have entered the Museum. Wintour oversees the benefit committee and controls who gets on the guest list, with 650-700 invited to attend as the chairperson.
The Met Gala routinely presents the world with the most extravagant and iconic fashion moments, such as Billy Porter being carried onto the red carpet by shirtless golden men or Rihanna dressing as a female pope or Emma Watson wearing a dress made from recycled plastic cans. It will continue to be one of the biggest fashion events and fundraisers in the world as long as the outfits continue to push boundaries.