Tickets for the price of an apartment in Kyiv and a complete ban on social networks: what is the Met Gala and why is there so much hype around it

On the first Monday of May, the attention of fashion fans is traditionally focused on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Ball, better known as the Met Gala. On May 6, famous stars will amaze their fans with unusual outfits as they walk the red carpet of one of the most prestigious events in New York.

The theme of the Met Gala 2024 is "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion". The exhibition, which will feature 250 items from the Institute's collection, will begin at 18:00 local time, which is approximately one o'clock in the morning Kyiv time.

What is the Met Gala

Officially, the Met Gala is a benefit for the Costume Institute, which was created to raise money for the museum's fashion department, the only one in the institution that has to pay for itself. Unofficially, it is the party of the year, called the Oscars of fashion. Last year's event raised almost 22 million dollars (865 million hryvnias).

Why the ball has become popular

It's all thanks to VOGUE editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has been the main organizer of the ball since 1999 after first signing the contract in 1995 and turned the event into a massive success. Today, the Met Gala is an unrivaled cocktail of famous names from fashion, film, politics, sports, and, increasingly, social media. All invitees prepare extravagant costumes in advance in accordance with the theme of the evening to shine on the red carpet.

This year's theme

Last year's Met Gala was dedicated to designer Karl Lagerfeld. But this year's theme is much more mysterious - "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion". The creators make a reference not to fairy tales or Disney, but to the treasures of the museum's fashion collection, which are so old and delicate that they cannot be shown on mannequins. Instead, the exhibition will include artificial intelligence and 3D reproduction of the works, as well as sound and... smell. But that's not all.

Dress code

In total, the show will include about 250 pieces that have been preserved for four centuries. The antique dresses and corsets prompted Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of the Costume Institute, to think about the ephemerality of nature, which led to the emergence of gardens, which eventually influenced the dress code.

Guests should dress according to the dress code of The Garden of Time, named after the 1962 short story by J.G. Ballard. Ballard's 1962 short story about an aristocratic couple who live in a walled estate with a magical garden while an invading mob threatens to end their peaceful existence. To deter the intruders, the husband tries to turn back time by picking flower after flower until there are no more plants left. The mob breaks through and loots the estate, and the two aristocrats are turned to stone.

Who is invited to the Met Gala

The guest list is a strict secret. Unlike other cultural fundraisers, the Met Gala is by invitation only. Entrance depends not only on the price, which this year is a whopping 75 thousand US dollars per ticket (about three million hryvnias), and the cost of tables starts at 350 thousand US dollars. The qualifications for an invitation have more to do with fame and fashion than money. Anna Wintour has the final say on each participant.

This means that even if you give a lot of money to a museum, you won't necessarily meet the requirements. And even if a company buys a table, it cannot choose everyone who will sit at that table. This year, as in 2023, according to the spokesperson for the Costume Institute, there are about 400 "chosen ones".

Guest list

Singer Rihanna has already confirmed her presence. Given the organizers' views, it can also be assumed that we will see Jennifer Lopez with her husband Ben Affleck on the red carpet. The event is likely to include actress Zendaya and her boyfriend Tom Holland, singers Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift, and the Kardashian-Jenner family. Despite the presence of TikTok, there is a ban on social media at the event, which guests dutifully adhere to.

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