A short history of the Met Gala and its iconic looks

In December 1946 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, students examine racks and drawers of garments from the Study-Storage collection, where the articles are filed according to their historical period.

Photograph by United States Information Agency, PhotoQuest, Getty Images

Since it started in 1948, the Met Gala has delivered boundary-pushing fashion modeled by celebrities and cultural icons, from rock stars to activists. The star-studded event generates millions of dollars for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.

“Fashion’s biggest night” is hosted annually on the first Monday in May. It began as a fundraiser for the newly-founded institute, with tickets at only $50. Instead of modeling looks on the museum’s famous steps and partying in the Temple of Dendur as they do today, attendees were hosted at famous New York City venues including the Waldorf Astoria and Central Park for the first 20 years of the event.

After helping found the Costume Institute at the Met, Eleanor Lambert created the first Costume Institute Fundraiser, a $50 dinner, in 1948. She led the event for the next two decades, and is also known for founding the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

Photograph by Bettmann, Contributor, Getty Images

Diana Vreeland worked for Harper’s Bazaar (seen here, in her office in 1963) and as editor-in-chief at Vogue. She went on to become a special consultant to the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Photograph by Ben Martin, Getty Images

Stars are dressed by designers according to a theme tied to that year’s exhibition at the Costume Institute. The dress code for 2024 is “The Garden of Time,” while the exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” uses technology to examine garments and accessories spanning four centuries.

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