The MET Gala 2021

By: Frances Heikes, Michele Farfan, and Victoria Lopez Mozota

During the biggest and most glamorous event of the year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is transformed into the infamous Met Gala. Mostly known for its iconic themes and guests, it’s an annual fundraiser for the museum, specifically its Costume Institute. This year’s Met Gala raised $16.75 million.

According to Architectural Digest, this extravagant event was founded in 1948 by Eleanor Lambert but didn’t become popular until the ’70s. Special consultant, Diana Vreeland, and influential socialite, Pat Buckley, greatly contributed to its sudden popularity. It was Vreeland’s idea to give the Met Gala a theme. The first theme was “The World of Balenciaga” in 1973.

This event has evolved greatly; from the elaborate themes to the big stars who attend. Not only does this event raise money, but it also showcases the work of many fashion designers and gets a lot of media recognition. One of the many brands that have benefited from the Met Gala’s fame is Balenciaga. Rhianna, Kim Kardashian, Tracee Ellis Ross, and A$AP Rocky all promoted looks made by Balenciaga. Other brands that were featured at this year’s event include Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren, Versace, and many more.

Photo credits: Vogue Scandinavia

According to Loyola Phoenix, this year’s theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” and was inspired by Old Hollywood and was meant to give exposure to American designers. However, the public had mixed reactions to this theme and what some celebrities wore. For example, the picture above shows one of the most controversial looks this year. Kim Kardashian decided to wear a black dress by Balenciaga that covered her entirely from head to toe. Although some celebrities were negatively talked about, some of the looks have been talked about positively by everyone who saw them. Among these celebrities are Billie Eilish, (who is pictured in the first photograph) Iman (who is pictured below; left side), and Gigi Hadid. (who is also pictured below; right side)

Photo credits: Vogue Scandinavia

Regardless of which celebrities did or didn’t get the right reactions from the media, the fact that they were invited to such an extravagant and exclusive event speaks volumes about their fame and influence.