The Met Gala is defined as an annual fundraising event hosted by the Costume Institute of New
York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The event dates back to 1948, originally a
more intimate gathering in honor of the opening of the annual exhibit as well as garnering
support for the newly-founded Costume Institute. Over time The Met Gala has grown in the hands
of prominent figures in the fashion industry who pioneered, designers behind the attire.
and numerous style icons, hence being fondly referred to as “fashion's biggest night
out." The event is one of the most striking and notable in the industry to the general
public next to some of the most iconic such as fashion week. The Met Gala has contributed
to fashion being viewed, appreciated, and supported as the rightful applied art form
it is in the eyes of many unlike ever before. As fashion captures history, identity, and
culture tangibly
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PAST AND PRESENT IS ONE OF COEXISTENCE RATHER THAN SUCCESSION.
OUTLINED BY THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHER ARMIE BRAXTON- IN WHICH TIME EXISTS AS A CONTINUOUS FLOW.
AUTONOMY, THROUGH ITS UNION OF THE PAST AND PRESENT. A VISION OF TIME THAT IS FREE FROM
THE CONFINES OF CHRONOLOGY.
This video will break down the three respective eras of the event to the present day as well
as THE MET GALA 2021 “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion." in celebration of the designers,
inspiration, and most chic ensembles of 2021.
The event, initially a soiree of support, was founded by Eleanor Lambert who saw the
newly launched Costume Institute branch was in need of funding, hence she decided on a
simple and exclusive event that could harmoniously fit into the charitable calendar.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE A VERY NINETEENTH CENTURY IDEA OF WHAT ART IS. THERE ARE PEOPLE WITHIN
THE MUSEUM WHO STILL DISMISS FASHION.
The founder of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and New York Fashion week viewed
fashion as an art, but this was not a common thought of her time.
She believed that fashion should be upheld in a similar manner as other legendary arts
such as painting, sculpting, and music. Setting out to make this appreciated, she was a pioneer
who would make it fashionable to be displayed and enjoyed into the modern age, but it was
not an easy task as it would require the time, energy, and funding of many. With her background
as a publicist and being a part of Elite society, she used her status and skill set to go beyond
herself. The tickets at this point in time were $50 which in present times would be roughly
$500 today for perspective. The venue would differ keeping interested and was held in
the Rainbow Room, Central Park, and Waldorf-Astoria. The event laid the foundation and the attendees
made history while aiding the Costume Institute's life for years to come.
The well-known tradition of dressing to a theme came to be under the eye of Vogue’s
former editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland who took on the new creative venture in 1972.
At this point in time, the Met Gala is known as the “Met Ball” transformed into one
that we are more familiar with today. Vreeland was striving for a new creative pursuit to
channel her artistic spirit and love for avant-garde indulgences. The themed parties in the Met
basement were where the exhibition would go on to be staged. Guests would arrive in their
best attire to descend into a stylish world in the likeness of the theme which would range
from concepts such as “Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design” and “Diaghilev: Costumes
and Designs of the Ballets Russes” to a celebration of designers such as “ The World
of Balenciaga” in respect of his innovative technical work, construction, and application
of style that revolutionized womenswear in the mid 20th century as well as “Yves Saint
Laurent: 25 Years of Design.” in 1983 the first retrospective and one of the few to
have ever had work showcased while alive due to his impact on fashion. "The master of the
streets of the world" stated. Diana Vreeland
It was dubbed the "Party of the Year" and many coveted a spot on the guest list, which
was now realistic as consultant Vreeland allowed for the tickets to be sold for $100, making
the Met Ball more accessible. In 1981, a museum official stated to The New York Times Magazine
1981, "She gives visibility to the Costume Institute no money could buy." The attendees
were now ranging from guests such as Bianca Jagger, Andy Warhol, Elton John, and Diana
Rosse to the elite of the city and fashion industry personnel as well as even students.
With guests from all walks of life, the general public began to accumulate interest in the
alluring and fashionable high end event. The fashion industry, art, and social world were
completely enamored.
Signifying a long-lasting relationship with Vogue and upholding the heart of the Met Ball,
Vreeland worked until the end of her life in 1989, but her work continued to make an
impact until 1994 without the chairwoman in hand with the glamorous spirit that the 90s
would usher in.
In 1995, Anna Wintour, a Met Trustee and the artistic director of Conde Nast and editor-in-chief
of Vogue kept the integrity of the Met Gala’s spirit, aesthetic, and intent intact. Her
two changes were to establish a new date over a cold winter December she decides on a warm
spring May and to create a more sophisticated aura surrounding the event through Vogue’s
everlasting and dedicated network. A source with the Hollywood reporter revealed the process
of the guest and fashion curation stating, “Vogue brings the designers’ clothes up
to the magazine They lay it all out and then they pair celebrities with the designers and
their gowns. The level of control is amazing. The invasion of Baghdad was nothing compared
to this. If Michael Kors is coming, Anna is deciding which celebrity will wear Michael
Kors and which Michael Kors outfit the celebrity will wear.”
The event was now not just a dinner or a glamorous party, but an event became a purely sartorial
world through her creative vision which elevated the event to advance in longevity by not only
popularity but also the ability to support the Costume Institute- the true meaning of
the event in an as pretty as a picture manner that holds the essence of the theme. Themes
under Wintour carried the same tone as the precedent set, conceptual takes such as "PUNK:
Chaos to Couture” an examination of the punk culture infiltrating
high fashion in the 1970s and carrying on its presence in the modern age. The Met showcased
the visual language of punk through haute couture and ready-to-wear. merging the attitude
and looks of the subculture into garments that invaded the mainstream to shock many
in a time where fashion was deemed a very pretty, soft topic.
and “The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion” a celebration of past icons such as Kate Moss,
Naomi Campbell, Twiggy, etc that sported and breathed life into the ever-changing face
of fashion while inspiring the most impactful designers that shaped the world.
The met gala themes also will partake in the act of honoring great designers such as in
“Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” and “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of
the In-Between”
In
present-day 2021, the exhibition is noted to "establish a modern vocabulary of American
fashion based on its expressive qualities through a two-part exhibition with a focus
on American fashion. Part one being- “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” and part
two: “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” A celebration of American fashion from the
1940s, the decade of the Met Gala's founding to today that captures the stylish landscape
of America over time through visually captured emotional qualities of American spirit such
as strength, nostalgia, and affinity.
Attendees' ensembles ranged from the hearts of classic American designers, such as LaQuan
Smith in Tom Ford suit and Joan Smalls in a Ralph Lauren gown to conceptual takes and
a more interpretive lens of style to execute this theme such as Kim Kardashian in Balenciaga
embodying her impact on American culture through the beauty of silhouette and Billie Eilish's
tribute to Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly, but with inspiration from holiday barbies
to capture that experience of American youth.
Kaia Gerber paid tribute to Bianca Jagger's look of 1981 who originally supported Dior,
with a dress designed by Oscar de la Renta. It was an elegant, minimal, and chic look
that held in high regard Bianca’s aura in a modern age through the custom black faille
strapless gown. The vines of ivy on the top of the bodice directly mirror the embroidery
of the original in a cutout motif that gives a subtle moment of delicacy not so overtly.
The ensemble was finished off with an Omega timepiece and jewelry with a vintage tone.
It’s a much more down-to-earth and understated look that asserts style with quiet, sophisticated
confidence.
Kendall Jenner's attire was also a homage, but not to an actor- rather a character: Audrey
Hepburn's most iconic role Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, a 1964 American musical comedy-drama
film. The base of this Givenchy gown is sheer and built outward with intricate patterns
of embellishment for visual depth and to create leading lines around the look, by the fishtail
train to draw the eye up and the choker to add a focal point to showcase the face. These
same techniques were often applied to Audrey Hepburn, the house’s most notable muse in
the fashion industry and beyond.
As we can see, the Met Gala throughout the years has undergone a great evolution without
losing touch of the past, but bringing the heart and love of fashion into the future
for all to enjoy as the founder set out to do. The prominent figures of the fashion industry
and numerous style idols transformed the event into the one we know today as well as the
impact it held on fashion being viewed as art with great value in the eyes of many unlike
ever before. The Met Gala supports the Costume Institute's mission, “seeking to develop
a deeper understanding of fashion amongst the public and to explore its artistic and
historical significance. Our aim is to study and exhibit fashion as an art form – to
highlight the craftsmanship, the technical expertise, as well as the ideas and concepts
behind it.”
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