The Met Gala, originally known as the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As the gala is a very prominent fundraising event, its importance goes beyond the media. The Met Gala originally launched in 1948 with the help of Eleanor Lambert, a fashion publicist, and it wasn’t until the 70s that it became the Met Gala. With thanks to Diana Vreeland, French-American fashion editor-in-chief at Vogue from 1963 to 1971, the Met Gala became very popular with their celebrity guest list. The 90s were also big for the gala, as Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief for Vogue since 1988, became a chair of the event in 1995, and has been the organizer for over 25 years.

You could say that the Met Gala is the “ultimate theme party” (vanityfair.com), but as it leaves so much room for interpretation, many people can get off track. This year’s theme was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion”, also known as “Gilded Glamour,” a time of wealth and growth. During the Gilded Age, from 1870 to 1900, women through art and literature were identified as obedient; but beyond the picture frame, women were starting to stray away from the standards of society as many were entering into higher education, finding work, and campaigning for the right to vote while still being stylish, which is why it makes such an interesting theme.

The Met Gala themes are chosen to tell a story with some of the most iconic themes being “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” in 2020, 2019 was “Camp”, 2018 was “Heavenly Bodies”, 2010 was “American Woman.” These are just some of the many themes, but the Met Gala has changed greatly over the years, and some would argue it’s changed for the worse. This year, one of the most controversial outfits was Kim Kardashian’s; she wore the dress that Marilyn Monroe wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to John F. Kennedy in 1962. Seeing as the theme was “Gilded Glamour,” many people were upset that Kim not only wore something from the 20th century instead of the Gilded Age, the 19th century, but that she wore the dress that was specifically tailored for the late Marilyn Monroe. Another controversy is the many influencers now in attendance at the Met Gala, as they aren’t celebrities; more popular influencers who attended this were Addison Rae and Emma Chamberlain, and people aren’t fans of this. However, people seem to not mind that Emma is there, as she is one of the many faces of fashion on social media. “In terms of fashion, Gilded Age style was defined by extravagance” (smithsonianmag.com).

When you think of the Gilded Age, you think of the jewel-toned gowns crafted out of a variety of fabrics, including silk, velvet and satin; you think of the multi-piece suits that men wore and all the corsets. The guests at this Met Gala have the media questioning what they thought they knew about Gilded fashion. The fashion icon, Sarah Jessica Parker wore Chrisopher John Rogers as a homage to Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, the first Black fashion designer employed at the White House. Gemma Chan, Joe Jonas, and Sophie Turner all wearing Louis Vuitton, and Austin Butler and Kacey Musgraves showing off their Prada outfits. Versace took over the carpet as “Donatella Versace explored the power of American fashion and the Gilded Age at the Met Gala 2022, with a range of custom Atelier Versace designs for members of the Versace family.” (versace.com). With iconic looks from Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid, Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo, Lily James, Gabrielle Union, and of course Donatella Versace herself.

This year’s Met Gala red carpet event was the most watched in six years, which is significant since viewership for many other celebrity events has been on the decline. High achievers from all areas of music, film, Broadway, fashion, and even social media influencers earned an invite. There were many different takes on Gilded Glamour fashion, with some hits and some misses. All in all though, the 2022 Met Gala was a success.