by By Lily Chrisman
On the first Monday in May, paparazzi gather to capture the best looks on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Fashion’s most exclusive event, the Met Gala, is two weeks away and fans are itching to see stars devour the red carpet. It’s that time of the year when the predictions are high, but our expectations are higher. This unforgettable night is full of the fashion industry’s top designers and most memorable Hollywood faces.
Organized by the chief of Vogue Magazine, Anna Wintour, and popularly regarded as the most prestigious fashion event, this annual fundraiser celebrates the theme of this year’s Costume Institute exhibition in the fashion wing of the museum.
Starting with the most exciting news, the 2023 Met Gala theme is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” Mr. Lagerfeld was best known for his creative power from the 1950s to his final collection in 2019. The German designer leaned deeply into his sketches to unite every line and see his work for fashion brands like Chanel and Fendi come to life.
This year’s event honors Lagerfeld and the mark he left on the fashion industry. We would be lucky to see guests in archival looks from when Lagerfeld worked for Balmain, Patou, and Chloé. More red carpet fashion predictions include Lagerfeld’s go-to black and white aesthetic, the modernization of Fendi’s couture fur line, plus glitz and gold designs from Chanel’s vintage collections. Vogue chose to reflect on decades of original styles and trends, which might make this the most sustainable Met Gala ever. We might catch a glimpse of Cara Delevinge, as she walked for Lagerfeld’s final Chanel show during Paris fashion week in the fall of 2019.
This “black-tie extravaganza” is no easy entry, the Met Gala is invitation-only and the guest list surprises all. Celebrity invites are based on the classy elite, the hot topic of the moment and simply all up to Miss Wintour. Many big names on social media including Blake Lively, Emma Chamberlain, Rihanna, the Kardashians and Jared Leto have all been previous attendees with looks that create buzz overnight. To excite fashion lovers, Vogue announced Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz and Roger Federer as the co-hosts of this year’s event. These four names will walk the steps first as fans expect showstopping looks to kick off the night.
What might one do inside the Met Gala? We may never know. This secretive event follows a no-phone policy and exclusive photos are shared from inside closed doors. Although, iconic bathroom selfies of celebrities striking a pose have surfaced over the years.
Influencers like @girlbosstown flood TikTok with content including, “reacting to the Met Gala from my couch until I get invited,” which serves as the ultimate topic of discussion for days after the event. As fashion fans only get to celebrate and experience this event through Vogue’s live stream, explains how celebrity looks get millions of engagements across social media platforms. Who will break the internet this year? We will just have to wait and see.
This is such a great post. I’m so excited to see the Lagerfeld archive looks! I’m also glad to hear that because the theme reflects so heavily on previous decades of style and trends that it may have a more sustainable outcome. I was not aware of the “no-phone policy,” I guess that makes the event that much more exclusive.
I enjoyed reading your post! I thought it was very well written and easy to read. I’m so excited to see the looks for this Met Gala. I agree that social media has a huge influence on what the public perceive of the Met Gala since it is invitation only and “no-phone policy.” It would be interesting to see what happens inside the doors. Good job on this post!