The annual Met Gala (New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art Charity Dinner) was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on the evening of May 6 local time. Each year, a specific dress code is set for this fundraising gala for the Costume Academy, in line with the theme of the Academy's exhibition. This year's Academy's exhibition is titled "Sleeping Beauty: A Fashion Awakening," and the exhibition will feature about 250 objects from the Costume Institute's permanent collection. The costume request for this year's evening was "Garden of Time", inspired by James Graham Ballard's 1962 short story of the same name.
While Miranda, the editor-in-chief of fashion magazines in the film "The Queen Wears Prada," scoffed at the idea of using flowers as an accessory in spring, there was no shortage of celebrities at this year's Met Gala wearing garden-inspired outfits. But this "Oscar of the fashion industry" is not only a stage for celebrities to compete for beauty, but also a "sweet and sweet" that brings huge benefits to the entire fashion industry.
Tens of thousands of dollars in tickets
According to CBS, tickets for this year's dinner were $75,000 per person, a 70 percent increase from last year. Prices for 10-person tables start at $350,000.
However, even if you have money, you may not be able to buy a ticket, so you need to get an invitation first. THE FASHION MAGAZINE VOGUE SAID ON ITS WEBSITE THAT THE EVENT IS ATTENDED BY ABOUT 450 PEOPLE EACH YEAR, INCLUDING POPULAR STARS, YOUNG CREATIVES AND INDUSTRY ROLE MODELS. Until the night before the event, the guest list was top secret, and the guests on the list needed to be approved by Vogue's global editorial director, Anna Wintour, who was one of the co-chairs of the dinner for a long time.
Anna Wintour attending the 2024 Met Gala (Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art's official X account)
今年的嘉宾包括来自歌唱界的拉娜·德芮(Lana Del Rey)、卡迪· B(Cardi B)、爱莉安娜·格兰德(Ariana Grande),影视界的艾丽·范宁(Elle Fanning)、杨紫琼,模特界的刘雯、肯达尔·詹娜(Kendall Jenner),以及社交名媛金·卡戴珊(Kim Kardashian)等。
Singer Ariana Grande (Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art's official X account)
However, celebrities on the list usually don't need to pay for their own attendance, and the brand will buy it at a table and invite the celebrity they want to invite to wear their own clothes. And the sponsoring brand is not necessarily a fashion brand, Apple has been a sponsor twice.
The expensive entrance fee also brings in a huge sum of money for the Met Gala. The Met Gala raised a record $26 million this year, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These funds will be used to support the operation of the Costume Academy.
A Chinese figure on the red carpet
At the 2018 Met Gala, in addition to Rihanna wearing a crown tiara, a Maison Margiela rhinestone pearl custom gown, and Katy Perry, who wore a short metal mesh dress with matching boots, and Katy Perry with three-dimensional wings as the focus of the look, another Chinese woman in an Oscar de la Renta gown also attracted attention.
Investor Yu Wanwan is not only the largest and youngest patron of the MET Apparel Institute, but also the only daughter of Yu Jingyuan, the founder of home furnishing manufacturer Mengtian Group. Since 2017, Yu has attended the Met Gala for three consecutive years, and in her article for the magazine, she said that 2019's "Camp: A Fashion Note" is her favorite theme so far.
Yu Wanwan who participated in the Met Gala in 2018 (Source: Yu Wanwan's official Weibo account)
According to Taiwan media reports, relevant sources said that Yu Wanwan's donation amount was as high as 300 million to 400 million US dollars. Andrew Bolton, Chief Curator of the Costume Institute, discussed with Anna the purpose of the donation and proposed the idea of "Sustainable Support for the Position of Chief Curator (Title Sponsorship)".
From now on, Bolton and his successor in charge of curating the exhibition will be titled "name + chief curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's School of Costumes".
"I am inspired by the innovative connections in the fashion industry, and my mission may be to be the 'middleman' between China and the West in the fashion creative industry, and to bridge the gap between China's outstanding creative forces and the global platform." Yu Wanwan told mainland media.
The Chinese designer's brand was also featured at this year's Met Gala. American rapper Cardi B appeared on the red carpet in a dress from the Chinese designer brand Windowsen this time.
Founded in 2019, Windowsen has successfully stolen the music videos and concerts of celebrities with its avant-garde and visually striking works. As a result, founder Lee Sensen was named to BoF's list of 500 people in the fashion industry.
Cardi B in a Windowsen gown (Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art's official X account)
Off the red carpet
Although this year's Met Gala has come to an end, the party's impact is not limited to the red carpet.
After last year's Met Gala, resale platform Vestiaire Collective released data showing a significant increase in global sales of the Karl Lagerfeld brand. According to fashion magazine Niood, the surge in sales can be attributed to the increased traffic after the Met Gala and increased consumer interest in the brand. At that year's Met Gala, the dress code was "Tribute to Carl".
In addition, Chloé, which had been the creative director of Carl, saw its sales soar by 72% immediately after the dinner. Another brand close to Carl, Fendi, saw a 6 percent increase in sales, and a 35 percent increase in the days following the party.
Designer Carl Raphael (Source: Carl's official X account)
The Met Gala's influence has also extended to other brands such as Miu Miu and Valentino. Miu Miu's sales increased by 17% immediately after the gala and continued to grow, up 36% sequentially. After the event, Valentino's global sales increased by 15%, and the brand's searches were still 23% higher than before.
And at this year's Met Gala, some long-dormant costumes re-entered the public eye. Kendall became the first person to wear an outfit from Givenchy's Fall 1999 Haute Couture collection designed by Alexander McQueen. The collection was originally only shown on mannequins and never at a fashion show.
"It's been sleeping for the last 25 years. It is indeed a 'sleeping beauty'. Kendall told the media.
Kendall attending the 2024 Met Gala (Source: Kendall's official Instagram account)