The History of the Met Gala
The History of the Met Gala
By: Emma Greene
A collaboration between elite designers, celebrities, and industry professionals, the Met Gala is the most anticipated night in fashion each year.
Originally known as the Costume Institute Benefit, the Met Gala was founded in 1948 by Eleanor Lambert, a fashion publicist. The benefit was a ticketed event with the purpose of raising funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Tickets to the 1948 benefit cost fifty dollars each (the equivalent of $770 today) and were available to the public.
The Costume Institute Benefit, 1948.
Lambert is also known for her work in establishing the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1962.
The Met Gala served as a fashion-forward night of fun for New York City elite until Diana Vreeland, a former editor of both Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, transformed the gala into a pop culture phenomenon.
Vreeland served as editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar from 1936-1962 and of Vogue from 1963-1971. Upon her departure from the editorial world, Vreeland assumed the role of Special Consultant to the Costume Institute in 1972. She expanded the gala’s guest list to include household names such as Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, and Andy Warhol, and began the tradition of a yearly theme.
Vreeland moved the Met Gala to its current location, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, during her first year as Special Consultant. In years prior, the event was held at several iconic New York City venues including the Waldorf Astoria, the Rainbow Room, and Central Park.
Vogue’s current Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour became chairwoman of the Costume Institute in 1995 and has held the position since, although rumors of her impending retirement began circulating in 2018. It is under her direction that the Met Gala was given its current calendar date, the first Monday in May.
Emily Ratajkowski, Lily James, Gigi Hadid, and Donatella Versace pose at the 2022 Met Gala
Since its establishment, the gala has raised more than 200 million dollars for the Costume Institute. The highest-grossing year was 2022, bringing in 17.4 million dollars over the course of one night. Recent guest lists have ranged in size from 650-700 people, consisting mostly of A-list celebrities and choice fashion industry professionals.
The 2023 Met Gala, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” will be held on Monday, May 1. The event will commemorate the late Karl Lagerfeld, who served as creative director at Chanel and as a designer at Chloé, Valentino, Balmain, and Fendi among others. Lagerfeld passed on February 19, 2019.
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