The Met Gala’s dress codes can often come across as esoteric, which is perhaps why some attendees misinterpret them or ‘get them wrong’, but they’re important and romantic reminders of what the Met celebrates, which is not just fashion and its curation, but an annual exhibition by the Costume Institute. What I’ve always taken from the idea of a dress code is that it enables each night to differentiate itself from the last, and allows the Met Gala to stand out from any other red carpet for its ripeness for storytelling through fashion.
All of this said, the Met Gala theme has never been compulsory or mandatory, but rather a suggestion to guests and an opportunity to show up and show off.
Met Gala 101
A quick history lesson: the Met Gala began in 1948 when publicist Eleanor Lambert — who also founded the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1962 — took it upon herself to throw a benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in the form of a private dinner somewhere in the city, not at the museum itself. Then came former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, who took over in 1971, revamping the Met Gala and turning it into a glitzy and glamorous affair. She began hosting it at the museum, introduced themes and invited celebrities from Cher to Elizabeth Taylor and Elton John. The Met Gala as we know it started in 1995 when Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue and creative editorial director of Condé Nast, took charge. Thematic, glitzy, monumental, and on the first Monday in…
