It has been announced that the theme for next year’s Costume Institute exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as the Met Gala, will be Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion
The core exhibition will span 400 years of history, from a 17th-century English Elizabethan-era bodice to 21st-century acquisitions by designers including Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney, and Connor Ives. Andrew Bolton, who is the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute, explained that the exhibition will be structured around approximately 50 historically significant and aesthetically beautiful pieces that are far too fragile to ever be worn again.
The exhibition always opens with the Met Gala, which takes place every year on the first Monday in May at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Met Gala—fashion’s biggest night out.
When is the Met Gala 2024?
The 2024 Met Gala will take place on Monday, May 6, in New York. The event has taken place on the first Monday in May every year since 2005, apart from in 2020, when the Met Gala was cancelled, and in 2021, when it was held in September, as a result of the pandemic.
What is the Met Gala 2024 theme?
The spring 2024 exhibit is entitled Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. The exhibition will be structured around approximately 50 historically significant and aesthetically beautiful pieces from the collection that are far too fragile ever to be worn again. “These are the ‘Sleeping Beauties’ of the title,” Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute, explained. Cutting-edge curation and technology will give a deeper understanding of these fragile pieces—an illusion technique known as Pepper’s ghost will be used to revive some looks, while video animation, light projection, soundscaping, AI, CGI, and other forms of sensory stimulation will provide a deeper context to each piece, according to .
“Fashion is one of the most emotional artistic forms because of its connection to the body,” Bolton continued. “It is imbued with memory and emotions, and we relate to it very much via our senses. One thing I hope this show will activate is that sensorial appreciation of fashion.” The exhibition will be open to the public the day after the Met Gala and will run until September 2, 2024.
What is the Met Gala?
Organized and presided over by Anna Wintour since 1995, the Met Gala has become a much-loved annual celebration of fashion. Considered a fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, it has traditionally been timed to mark the opening of its annual fashion exhibition. Year after year, the event raises eight-figure sums.
What was the theme of the Met Gala 2023?
The Met Gala 2023 theme was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, in tribute to the legendary designer who died in 2019. As in previous years, Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton was in charge of the exhibition—which he said was not a “traditional retrospective”—while Amanda Harlech, who worked closely with Lagerfeld, served as the show’s creative consultant. Fittingly, the Met Gala dress code was “In Honor of Karl”—with many guests drawing inspiration from the creative director’s tenures at Chanel, Fendi, Chloé, Patou, and his own eponymous brand.
In 2022 the Met Gala theme was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” The exhibition saw Andrew Bolton focus on inclusivity in fashion and celebrate the unsung heroes of US design. It followed on from the 2021 theme, which was “In America: The Lexicon of Fashion.”
What happens at the Met Gala?
In short: It’s a secret. For this reason, guests must abide by the no phone (and, therefore, no social media) policy. However, the rules were famously broken by a cluster of celebrities smoking and taking selfies in the bathroom in 2017. The event usually involves a high-profile performer (such as Rihanna), and guests always explore the exhibition before sitting down together for dinner.
How many people attend the Met Gala?
The event usually hosts around 600 attendees, although a smaller number attended the 2021 Met Gala.
Who is invited to the Met Gala?
The 2023 guest list included everyone from Rihanna, Lizzo, Kim Kardashian, and Billie Eilish, to Michelle Yeoh, Anne Hathaway, and Erykah Badu. As always, designers attended with muses, like Jeremy Scott and his close friend, cult-favorite model Devon Aoki; Pierpaolo Piccioli with actor Florence Pugh; and Olivier Rousteing and actor and singer Jeremy Pope.
Who hosted the Met Gala 2023?
On January 18, Vogue announced that its 2023 hosts would be Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour, who served as the night’s official cochairs. The cohosts for the 2024 Met Gala are yet to be announced.
Can I watch the Met Gala?
Fashion fans were able to follow the red-carpet action on in 2023. Red-carpet coverage of this year’s event was hosted again by La La Anthony, along with writer and man about town Derek Blasberg and Saturday Night Live’s Chloe Fineman. Emma Chamberlain also returned as a special correspondent. Catch up on the red-carpet action on Vogue.
What looks did we see in 2023?
Presented with the theme of Lagerfeld’s illustrious design career, attendees either explored his extensive archives or paid homage with referential designs. Some moments to note include: Rihanna in a Valentino haute couture cape and gown, which nodded to the Chanel bride; Kim Kardashian draped in pearls by way of Schiaparelli; and Olivia Wilde in a violin Chloé dress that referenced Lagerfeld’s spring-summer 1983 collection at the brand. And we can’t forget Doja Cat’s, Jared Leto’s, and Lil Nas X’s odes to the designer’s beloved pet cat, Choupette.
What are some of the best looks of all time?
Over the years the Met Gala has delivered viral looks that are still being discussed today. Rihanna’s dramatic yellow Guo Pei couture cape and gown in 2015 springs to mind here. What about Lady Gaga’s 16-minute entrance while wearing transformative Brandon Maxwell in 2019? Divine. Another outstanding moment was Billie Eilish’s peach Oscar de la Renta tulle dress in 2021.
This article first appeared on British Vogue.
