Met Gala themes over the years: A look back at the many first Mondays of May
Met Gala 2024: Dive into Fashion's biggest night and explore its legendary themes over the years, highlighting the evolution of fashion and culture.
Get ready, fashionistas! The highly anticipated Met Gala 2024 is just around the corner, promising a night of glamour and philanthropy. With nearly 450 attendees, including celebrities, industry luminaries and emerging talent, this annual fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute is a highlight of the fashion calendar. Scheduled for May 6th, this year's event, dubbed the 'Oscars of Fashion,' will showcase stars and musicians dazzling on the red carpet. The theme, 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion', sets the tone, with attendees expected to adhere to the 'Garden of Time' dress code. As we eagerly await the big event, let's take a stroll down memory lane and revisit the imaginative themes of past Met Galas. (Also read: Met Gala 2024: ‘Sleeping Beauty’ theme for the exhibit and ‘The Garden of Time’ dress code for the Gala explained )
A Journey Through the Iconic Met Gala Themes
2024: Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion
This year's theme, 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,' is a direct nod to the Costume Institute's Spring 2024 exhibition. Instead of merely portraying sleeping beauties, celebrities are encouraged to draw inspiration from the exhibition's central theme: the revival of distinctive garments spanning four centuries.
2023: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty
At last year's gala, the spotlight shone on the legacy of the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, with attendees paying homage to his iconic creations. Dressed "in honour of Karl," guests drew inspiration from Lagerfeld's vast archives, which encompassed renowned fashion houses such as Chanel, Fendi, Chloé, Balmain, Patou, and his eponymous brand. From classic Chanel tweeds to avant-garde Fendi fur coats, the gala celebrated Lagerfeld's multifaceted influence on the world of fashion.
2022: In America: An Anthology of Fashion
In 2022, the Met Gala resumed its traditional May schedule and witnessed guests paying homage to American movie stars and the often-overlooked heroes of American fashion.
2021: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
The 2021 Met Gala centred around celebrating American fashion in all its diversity. This thematic focus delved into the nuanced aspects of American identity within the realm of fashion, showcasing a wide array of designers from various backgrounds.
2020: About Time: Fashion and Duration
The 2020 Met Gala was indefinitely postponed due to the pandemic, yet its theme remains a captivating subject for exploration. The theme, entitled "About Time", in honour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 150th anniversary, offered a retrospective look at a century and a half of fashion's evolution.
2019: Camp: Notes on Fashion
For the 2019 exhibition, Andrew Bolton drew inspiration from Susan Sontag's influential 1964 essay, "Notes on 'Camp'." This essay articulated a sensibility characterized by extravagance, theatricality, and a deliberate embrace of exaggerated or unconventional aesthetics. Sontag's exploration of "Camp" highlighted figures like Oscar Wilde and avant-garde movements such as Art Nouveau as exemplars of this sensibility.
2018: Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination
The 2018 Met Gala theme delved into the intersection of fashion and Catholicism, showcasing a range of religious artefacts alongside ethereal gowns worn by celebrities.
2017: Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between
The Met Gala celebrated the iconic Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo, showcasing her unique "objects," as she fondly refers to them. While some guests, such as Rihanna and Caroline Kennedy, adhered to the theme by wearing original pieces by Kawakubo, others interpreted the theme through the lens of different designers.
2016: Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology
The Met Gala 2016 took a futuristic turn with technology at its forefront. The accompanying exhibition explored the contrast between handmade and machine-made fashion, showcasing over 100 pieces of haute couture and ready-to-wear garments.
2015: China: Through the Looking Glass
The 2015 Met Gala paid tribute to China's profound influence on Western fashion with a theme befitting an emperor. The exhibition, a collaboration between the head of the museum's Department of Asian Art and the Costume Institute, showcased iconic looks from fashion houses like Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and Christian Dior Haute Couture, highlighting the rich cultural exchange between East and West.
2014: Charles James: Beyond Fashion
The museum celebrated a significant figure in the fashion world, albeit one less familiar to the general public. The Charles James theme generated excitement and anticipation, showcasing a vibrant display of 100 of his most influential designs.
Here's a glimpse of the diverse Met Gala themes from the past two decades:
2013: “Punk: Chaos to Couture”
2012: “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations”
2011: “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty”
2010: “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity”
2009: “The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion”
2008: “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy”
2007: “Poiret: King of Fashion”
2006: “AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion”
2005: “The House of Chanel”
2004: “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century”
2003: “Goddess: The Classical Mode”
2002: No theme
2001: “Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years”
2000: No theme
1999: “Rock Style”
1998: “Cubism and Fashion”
1997: “Gianni Versace”
1996: “Christian Dior”
1995: “Haute Couture”
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