The annual Met Gala, with this year’s theme honoring the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, has drawn the whole fashion industry to New York City once more. Pearls, starched collars, and black and white were worn by famous star-studded guests with their ostentatious attire.

Several well-known celebrities have indicated their intention to attend, despite the fact that the guest list is closely guarded. Along with other famous people from various fields, the event was attended by Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra.

Met Gala 2023 Theme

The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted an exclusive fundraising dinner for the Costume Institute that drew about 400 attendees. The 2023 Met Gala’s topic was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, which celebrated the late German designer’s creative achievements in the fashion industry and charted his development. Accordingly, the dress code is “in honor of Karl”. Attendees won’t lack ideas as Lagerfeld created designs for numerous fashion labels, including his own label, Patou, Balmain, Chloé, Fendi, and Chanel. Since 1995, Vogue’s editor-in-chief and English writer Anna Wintour has either presided or co-chaired the Met Gala.

Let us know a bit more about The Met Gala, the fundraising process, ticket prices, and much more.

 
 
 
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What is the Met Gala?

The Costume Institute Gala or Costume Institute Benefit, often known as the Met Gala or Met Ball, is an annual fundraising gala held in New York City for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Costume Institute’s yearly fashion exhibit, which is housed on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, opens with the Met Gala, an occasion celebrated every first Monday in May. Numerous attendees are shown on the covers and inside pages of Vogue. The celebration of the Costume Institute exhibition’s particular theme each year establishes the tone for the evening’s formal wear.

First Met Gala

Eleanor Lambert, a fashion publicist, started the Met Gala in 1948 as a fundraiser for the newly established Costume Institute to commemorate the start of its annual exhibition. The occasion was held in a number of Manhattan locations between 1948 and 1971, including the Rainbow Room, Central Park, and the Waldorf Astoria. The Gala experienced a drastic change in 1972, when Diana Vreeland started working as a consultant for the Costume Institute, becoming a more lavish and international event while still catering to the high-society crowd. As participants like Elizabeth Taylor, Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Diana Ross, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Madonna, and Cher mixed with the city’s elite, the event began to take on a more high-profile celebrity focus. The Gala was originally hosted at the Met and Gala themes were first presented during the Vreeland era.

Met Gala Fundraise Till Now

A record $17.4 million has been raised by 2022, making it one of the biggest fundraising events in New York City. US$9 million was raised there in 2013, $12 million in 2013, and a record $17.4 million in 2018. One of the most noteworthy sources of financing for the Institute is the Met Gala, whose overall contributions surpassed $200 million after the 2019 event. The Institute’s chairmanship was taken over in 1995 by the event’s chairperson, Anna Wintour. 

Met Gala 2023 Ticket Price

Through the sale of tickets, which are purchased by designers and brands, the ball frequently generates millions of dollars for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which hosts an annual accompanying exhibition. Each ticket is about $35,000, and tables are between $200,000 and $300,000. The price of a single ticket for the Met Gala 2023 is set at $50,000 (about 40 lakh), while tables start at $300,000 (around 2.5 crore). The first met gala ticket price was $50 each, including a meal.

Who attends The Met Gala?

The Gala is sometimes referred to as the “biggest fashion night” and is widely recognized as the most prestigious and glitzy fashion event and social gathering in the world. Attendees are invited to the Met Gala, which is hosted by the fashion magazine Vogue and features personalities who are deemed to be currently significant to society in a variety of professional fields, including fashion, cinema, television, music, theatre, business, sports, social media, and politics. The Gala was merely one of many yearly events hosted for New York charity institutions during the first few decades of its existence. As a result, practically everyone who attended the early galas belonged to New York’s high society or worked in the city’s fashion industry.