The Met Gala, a fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is rightfully known as fashion’s biggest night out. And, as it returns in two parts after being cancelled last year because of the pandemic, the black-tie extravaganza will be a great evening to remember. The annual high-wattage celebration of both fashion and celebrity will return in a more intimate style on September 13 (GMT) this year. However, that is not it. A much larger version of the gala is going to take place on May 2, 2022.
Theme:
The theme of this year’s exhibition is In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, and it honours the 75th anniversary of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is Part One of a two-part mega-show marking the relevancy and power of American Fashion.
Talking about this year’s Met, Andrew Bolton, the institute’s curator, said that American fashion is ‘undergoing a Renaissance’ and should be honoured. He added that he was impressed by American designers responses to the social and political climate, body inclusivity and gender fluidity.
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Hosts:
The hosts this year will be Amanda Gorman, the 23-year-old US Presidential inaugural poet, Timothée Chalamet, 25-year-old Dune actor, Naomi Osaka, 23-year-old tennis champion and mental health activist and Billie Eilish, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter. The honorary co-chairs for the gala will be Anna Wintour, Head of Instagram Adam Mossari, and designer Tom Ford, who will probably be dressing several attending celebrities.
Additionally, the event guest list will be smaller than usual because of the ongoing pandemic. The guests will also have to show proof of vaccination, receive a negative Covid-19 test result, and wear masks except while eating. Several reports also suggested that the guest list will be youth-centric.
Where to watch:
The red-carpet spectacle will be live-streamed by Vogue at 5:30 pm (ET) and covered on television by E!. For Indian viewers, the live stream will be hosted by actor and recording artist Keke Palmer and actor, writer, and director Ilana Glazer. They will go live around 3:00 am (IST) on September 14, 2021, on Vogue’s Twitter.
The annual fundraising event traditionally takes place on the first Monday of May. However, this time, it falls on the second Monday of September. It marks the first time ever that the gala has been shifted to another month, ever since May 2005, when they officially moved the dates from November to May.