Met Gala 2023: Everything you need to know about fashion’s greatest night!

With the beginning of May there’s one and only one thing on the calendar for fashion aficionados and it's the Met Gala 2023 but while we await the day to approach us, here’s a breakdown of what to expect this year and a history lesson for the not-so- well versed!

The most fashionable evening of the year is approaching us next week and of course like every other year, we’re excited to see who is adorning what at the much awaited Met Gala 2023. During the day of the event, it’s all everyone talks about but before that things are kept under the wraps, especially the attendees and who will collaborate with which designer for the carpet. The prestigious event first started 75 years ago and since then it has been honoring the world of fashion, its artisans and has become one of the most exclusive events in the world. 

We see our favorite celebrities grace their presence at the carpet with their own interpretation of that particular year’s theme. There is a lot of work that goes into those outfits and so many people work relentlessly behind the scenes to make this star studded event a success. It’s the evening where avid fashion enthusiasts collectively come under one roof from various fields but especially the entertainment industry. And for aspiring students of fashion, this event becomes a learning experience that they can watch from anywhere in the world and study each costume that they come across.

Let's dig deeper into this year’s theme and more!

When is the Met Gala 2023 taking place? 

Ever since the year 2005, Met Gala has always taken place on the first Monday in May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. So this year it falls on May 1, 2023. (May 2 according to IST). The only time this rule was broken was during the 2020 pandemic when the Gala was canceled and in 2021 when it took place in September and was kept pretty lowkey. 

What is this year’s theme?

The theme for Met Gala 2023 is Karl Lagerfeld: A line of Beauty which honors the former creative director of Chanel who passed away in 2019. The attendees will choose their outfits that showcase his vast body of work and walk the carpet in his honor. The outfits will be related from his collection of archives from luxury brands like Chanel, Fendi, Chloé, Balmain and Patou. 

Who is hosting the Met Gala this year?

Earlier this year, Vogue announced that this year the event will be hosted by Academy Award winning actress Penelope Cruz, Ghanaian-British actress and screenwriter Micheala Coel, Tennis legend Roger Federer, pop star Dua Lipa and Vogue’s editor in chief Anna Wintour. The five will be serving as co-chairs of the evening. 

Where can we watch the Met Gala 2023 Red Carpet live?

No matter where you are in the world, you will be able to see who wore what at the carpet on Vogue’s Youtube channel which always conducts a livestream from the start to the end of the carpet. The carpet will be hosted by American TV personalities La La Anthony, Derek Blasberg and Chloe Fineman, along with youtuber Emma Chamberlain as a special correspondent. The 4 will ask celebrities about their outfit details, what the theme means to them and what they expect from the big night. 

Who can we expect on the red carpet this year?

Mum's the word when it comes to the guest list of the Met Gala. No one really knows until the evening begins as it is always treated as a top secret. But there are many celebrities who are perpetually seen on the carpet every year, such as Anne Hathaway, the Kardashian/Jenners, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna. 

What happens at the Met Gala and why does it take place every year?

Apart from it being a great platform for many designers to shine and show their best work on the carpet through celebrities, the Met Gala actually is a charity event. The Gala’s main purpose is to raise funds for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art which is a department that supports itself financially. The Institute was renamed as the Anna Wintour Costume Center in honor of the editor-in-chief and she has always had significant importance when it comes to the Met Gala. Nothing happens without her approval. The guest list is indeed approved by her and not just that, everyone's arrival timings at the carpet and the seating arrangement inside are decided by her. She is always the first one to arrive at the carpet to overlook every detail of the evening. 

When the guests go inside, there is a costume exhibit that they get to see and this year of course some of Karl Lagerfeld’s best work from over the years will be displayed. After that the attendees go inside for a sit down dinner along with some performances that take place as well. The Gala has a strict no phone policy which was set by Anna Wintour and that was famously broken once by supermodel Kendall Jenner with the bathroom selfie. 

When did the very first Met Gala take place?

The first Met Gala took place in 1948 and it was hosted by Elanour Lambert who was a fashion publicist. She started the fund raising event so the influential people in New York could contribute to the Costume Institute and also make it an exclusive event. It was a midnight dinner and the tickets costed around 50 dollars.

From 1948 up until the late 90s, the Met Gala took place in November or December. But from 2001 to 2004 the Gala used to be held in late April. Until finally, in 2005, the Met Gala took place on the first Monday in May and the theme was to honor the house of Chanel. Since then it has become a custom to follow the same day every year without fail and the month of May and the Met Gala became synonymous to each other. Of course as mentioned earlier, the only time this wasn't followed was in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With so much hype around the event every year, we cannot wait to see how everyone from the world of showbiz sets the benchmark high this year!

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