 "The 2024 Met Gala: All you need to know about theme, dress code and more")
The highly anticipated Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute Benefit has arrived, and this year's dress code is "The Garden of Time."
But what does this theme mean exactly? Vogue provides insight: this year's Met Gala theme celebrates the institute's latest exhibition, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion." It boasts an impressive 250 rare pieces from the Costume Institute's permanent collection, chronicling over 400 years of fashion history. Expect to be mesmerised by designs from timeless icons like Schiaparelli, Dior, and Givenchy, alongside modern innovators Stella McCartney and Phillip Lim. For garments too delicate to wear again, such as an 1877 Charles Frederick Worth ball gown, technology will bring them to life through video animation, light projection, artificial intelligence (AI), computer-generated imagery (CGI), and other sensory delights.
While last year's Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty featured monochrome, pearls, and felines, this year's gala embraces an ethereal, whimsical, and irresistibly coquette aesthetic.
When is the 2024 Met Gala?
Mark your calendars for Monday, May 6, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art will once again host the event. Red carpet coverage typically kicks off around 6 pm ET (3:30 am IST).
Who are this year's co-chairs at the Met Gala?
On February 15, Zendaya, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and Chris Hemsworth were named Anna Wintour's co-chairs for the 2024 Met Gala.
Lopez expressed her excitement, saying she was "really honoured" to co-chair: "Anna was gracious enough to ask me, and we're going to have a good time," she said on Good Morning America.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Anderson of Loewe and TikTok chief executive officer Shou Zi Chew will act as honorary chairs.
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What's the dress code at the Met Gala?
This year's Met Gala dress code is "The Garden of Time," and Vogue highlighted the importance of considering the museum's exhibition to understand the sartorial direction fully. The exhibition, titled "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," celebrates fragile fashion pieces that can no longer be worn, featuring rare archival items. Imagine Elizabethan-era corsets and intricate, beautiful designs admired yet showcasing "inevitable decay." The exhibit is divided into three sections: Land, Sea, and Sky.
What's the story behind the Met Gala theme?
Vogue recommended familiarising oneself with the short story that inspired the theme, JG Ballard's The Garden of Time (1962). It tells of Count Axel and his wife, the Countess, who live in a peaceful utopia. Their balcony offers views of a pristine, magical garden.
As an angry mob approaches their villa, the Count plucks time flowers from their garden to rewind time. He continues until no flowers remain, and the mob inevitably reaches their home, leaving the garden destroyed.
According to Vogue, guests might wear floral designs to echo the "garden" in "The Garden of Time" dress code or choose pieces paying homage to nature in general. Some guests might opt for whimsical, avant-garde looks inspired by tales like Alice in Wonderland or Beauty and the Beast, or embrace the Elizabethan theme with outfits influenced by 16th-century fashion.
On the day of the Met Gala, Wintour discussed the dress code with Today, expressing regret for any confusion.
"This exhibition broke my cardinal rule," she said. "When we came up with the title Sleeping Beauties, it's wonderful and poetic and romantic, but actually, it could be many, many things."
"[Met museum curator Andrew Bolton] also thought of the dress, and I said, 'What are we gonna say to people to wear to this night?' And he said, 'Well, what about Garden of Time?' So I fear we've unleashed a lot of confusion out there, and for which I deeply apologise. I imagine we'll see a lot of flowers."
Met Gala: Who's on the guest list?
The official guest list remains a mystery, but a few predictions can be made. Zendaya's partner Tom Holland, Lopez's husband Ben Affleck, and Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky could attend. With TikTok's chief executive officer as an honorary chair, influencers may also add a digital twist to the evening.
Kim Kardashian has been a Met Gala regular since 2012, often bringing her sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Rihanna, known for her fashionably late arrivals, might also make a grand entrance with A$AP Rocky.
Taylor Swift's potential return sparked speculation, though reports indicate she won't attend with her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, despite the invitation.
Can anyone attend the Met Gala?
This exclusive event is not for everyone. Even with an invitation, one would need to pay around $50,000 per ticket. But for those who can attend, it promises to be a night of glamour and unforgettable memories.