Met Gala Must Knows: The who, what and wear

Met Gala must

knows: The carpet is decadently rolled out, and today’s hottest celebrities are ready and waiting to walk it. The paparazzi impatiently buzzes about, anxiously anticipating the arrival of their photo subjects. Who will be the best dressed of the night? Who will wow the audience with their unique styling? Or who will fall flat on their face by thinking too far outside the box? The first Monday of May brings one of the most anticipated fundraisers in pop culture. The Met Gala is a night to celebrate and push the boundaries of fashion through elaborate costuming by some of the top designers from around the world. Where only the elitist of the elite will receive an invitation. But the Met Gala was not always this fantastical production that

The who, what, and wear.

Everything you need to know about fashion’s biggest night of the year. BY KATY SNODGRASS PHOTOS BY PROVIDED seems to grow with each passing year. The

event started with the simple dream to have an institution dedicated to the preservation of theatrical costumes. In 1948, American fashion publicist and pioneer, Eleanor Lambert, founded the Costume Institute Benefit. At the time, the event was a midnight dinner fundraiser that helped finance the newly created Costume Institute with invitations open to the public for $50 per ticket. According to Vogue, it was not until the ’70s when the magazine’s former editor-in-chief, Diana Vreeland, became involved that the benefit became the elaborate ball we know today. However, Anna Wintour changed the game again in the ’90s when the ice queen of fashion stepped up to the plate and took over the Gala. Wintour is credited with the shift in the guest list to revolve more around the pop culture stars that Vogue posted in their stories. This is also when the over-thetop, intricate costumes became expected of Met Gala attendees as the celebrity budgets seemed limitless. Wintour also selected the theme for the Gala each year, which set the stage for each respective year’s focus in fashion. Themes vary from celebrating important designers, such as 2011’s “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” theme, to bold statements of how the outside world impacts the world of fashion. Examples of these themes would be “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Church” in 2018, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” in 2016, and “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century” in 2004. Although some of Wintour’s themes are lost upon us and the invited guests, the designers usually display their most distinctive pieces fitting within the chosen theme. Over the years, certain celebrity stylings during the Met Gala have brought great influence into the world of fashion and pop culture. In no particular order, here is Thread’s list of some of the most jaw-dropping stylings in Met Gala history.

CHER IN BOB MACIKE – 1974

Throughout Cher’s decades-long career, she has always been a style icon, pushing the boundaries of sexy stylings for women. Cher’s revealing dress from the 1974 Met Gala is no exception to that.

PHOTO CREDIT: RON GALELLA

JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS IN VALENTINO – 1979

One of the more surprising Met Gala attendees was Jackie O herself. She stunned the crowd in her sleek and strapless black gown, presenting herself in a new light to the public

PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

FashionGallery PRINCESS DIANA IN DIOR – 1995 Lady Diana also surprised the world by attending the 1995 Met Gala in a form fitting silk gown that was almost lingerielike. Diana was also in an era of rebranding herself to the public, following her divorce from Prince Charles. RIHANNA IN MAISON MARGIELA AND CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN – 2018, “HEAVENLY BODIES: FASHION AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH” The 2018 Met Gala brought some of the most recognizable and memorable looks of all time. However, Rihanna’s pope-inspired garment that was entirely encrusted in jewels and pearls must take the cake. Anna Wintour even called it a “very triumphant look.”

PHOTO CREDIT: RICHARD CORKERY

KIM KARDASHIAN IN THIERRY MUGLER –2019 “CAMP: NOTES ON FASHION”

Kim Kardashian really stepped up her game for the 2019 Met Gala, seemingly defying the laws of physics with the size of her waist. Kim’s latex “wet T-shirt” dress was Mugler’s first design in 20 years and caused quite the controversy over how she was able to cinch her waist to such drastic proportions. PHOTO CREDIT: KARWAI TANG

Met Gala Fashion TAYLOR SWIFT IN LOUIS VUITTON – 2016, “MANUS X MACHINA: FASHION IN AN AGE OF TECHNOLOGY” Any die hard Swiftie is very familiar with this look. In her most distinct “bleachella” era, Taylor sported a sexy chrome dress and a bleached bob hairdo. It is believed that several songs of Swift’s songs were written about the tumultuous love triangle created that night, making this night infamous among Swift’s fans.

MARC JACOBS IN COMME DES GARCONS – 2012 “SCHIAPARELLI AND PRADA: IMPOSSIBLE CONVERSATIONS”

While Jacobs’ name is widely known in fashion as a designer, his redcarpet appearances are far less recognizable. However, in 2012 Jacobs experimented with androgynous fashions, combining a beautiful lace see-through dress with a pair of men’s boxers underneath. Although nothing special in today’s world, at the time, Jacobs’ ensemble was groundbreaking. PHOTO CREDIT: RAY TAMARRA PHOTO CREDIT: KEVIN MAZUR

FashionGallery KENDALL AND KYLIE JENNER IN VERSACE – 2019, “CAMP: NOTES ON FASHION” The Kar-Jenner clan have some of the greatest pull in the world of fashion and beauty in the United States. Kendall and Kylie’s 2019 Met Gala looks were no exception, being used as inspiration for everyday stylings and even Halloween costumes. BLAKE LIVELY IN ATELIER VERSACE – 2022, “IN AMERICA: A LEXICON OF FASHION” As one of the co-hosts for the 2022 Met Gala, Blake Lively went over the top with the theme and continued her tradition of matching the Gala carpet. The oxidization of the Statue of Liberty inspired Lively, and she recreated it through her immaculate color changing dress. PHOTO CREDIT: NEILSON BARNARD PHOTO CREDIT: JAMIE MCCARTHY

Met Gala Fashion LADY GAGA IN BRANDON MAXWELL – 2019, “CAMP: NOTES ON FASHION” Gaga’s grand four-layer reveal on the Met carpet in 2019 is no doubt one of the most iconic looks from the Gala in recent history. She perfectly encapsulated the different eras of her career through four distinct looks, completely taking the theme of Camp and running with it. PHOTO CREDIT: KARWAI TANG

YOUR BODY IS ART, FIND YOUR FIT YOUR BODY IS ART, FIND YOUR FIT BY MEGAN GOSS | PHOTOS BY PROVIDED

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