The Met Gala, one of the biggest and most anticipated fashion events of the spring returns this year. The annual celebration of the Costume Institute's upcoming exhibition will remember the late great Karl Lagerfeld, on May 1st.
The Costume Institute has a rigorous selection process when it comes to the theme for its yearly exhibit and gala. Chief Curator Andrew Bolton and his team come together to create a concept, which is then approved not only by the director and president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art—Max Hollein and Daniel H. Weiss but by the powers that be, namely, Anna Wintour. A press presentation during Paris Fashion Week confirmed by the Met Museum revealed that the theme for this year’s revelries would be ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’. A pioneer in the fashion industry and a great creative mind, Lagerfeld passed away in 2019 at age 85. He was renowned for his work as Creative Director at both leading luxury Maison’s Chanel and Fendi and his eponymous brand Lagerfeld.
.jpg)
Often dubbed ‘The Oscars of fashion’ the Met gala has grown from an average fundraiser to an exclusive and expensive red-carpet event. The gala is said to raise millions for the Costume Institute at the Met through the sale of tickets bought by designers and brands. Tickets to the festivities cost around $35,000 each, with tables ranging from $200,000 to $300,000. Co-chairing the event this year alongside Anna Wintour will be a mixture of sports, music, film and fashion namely, Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer and Dua Lipa.
This year a selected 400 people will gather to celebrate Lagerfeld Although the guestlist is unknown it is said that it includes passed and present Chanel ambassadors such as Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Marion Cotillard, Kristen Stewart, Charlotte Casiraghi and Pharrell Williams and Lagerfeld’s close friends and media personalities from around the world. The red carpet is also the fashion world’s biggest advertisement opportunity, as designers tend to arrive with famous dates, usually, brand ambassadors dressed from head to toe in their newest and most glamorous designs.
The theme may be centred around Karl Lagerfeld but there is no telling what people will wear on the night. Chief Curator Andrew Bolton explained it will not be a straightforward retrospective but will pay tribute to his life's work in a unique manner. "At its heart, the exhibition will look at the evolution of Karl’s two-dimensional drawings into three-dimensional garments," he told WWD. "We could not do a traditional retrospective. For one thing, I think Karl would have hated that." It is almost certain that this year will see fewer costume-like outfits as guests are instructed to dress “in honour of Karl.” The anticipation is that various guests will adorn a variety of looks from Chanel, Fendi and Lagerfeld, as well as Chloé, Balmain and Patou (where Lagerfeld worked early on in his career).
