Reawakening Fashion at the 2024 Met Gala

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Washington chapter.

Throughout this past school year, I’ve written articles about anything and everything popular culture-related. From book recommendations, to the debate surrounding Barbenheimer, to celebrity interviews, to love in television shows, and—most recently—to the beauty that was Lana Del Rey’s Coachella performance, it feels as if I’ve covered every square inch of popular culture possible. 

That said, while I am extremely passionate about all of these subjects—literature, film, relationships, and music— there is another area of the pop-culture universe that I simply must talk about: fashion. 

This subject is particularly timely, as it’s that time of year again when I am reminded of my childhood self who was obsessed with Project Runway. In other words, the Met Gala is right around the corner. 

Wait, what’s the met gala?

I’m so glad you asked! The Met Gala is an annual fundraiser held in New York to honor the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Each year, hundreds of the most prominent figures in arts and culture are invited to attend. The lucky attendees of such a prestigious event walk the beloved red carpet, attend a mysterious dinner, and evoke a week’s worth of headlines over who spoke to who and who wore what, ultimately raising thousands of dollars for the museum.  

Who are theSE lucky atTendees?

Even though I know, deep down, that I would absolutely kill it on the Met Gala red carpet, I just don’t think the fashion world is quite ready for that yet. So, I will sadly not be in attendance this year. 

(That’s definitely the only reason!)

In reality, every guest must be personally chosen and invited by the iconic Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. And, even more than that, according to a recent New York Times article, the price of a ticket has increased $25,000 from last year, making the cost of attendance a whopping $75,000 this year. Crazy, right?

Nevertheless, plenty of society’s most beloved stars in film, fashion, music, sports, and—as of recent years—social media will be in attendance, glimmering and shimmering and making me exceedingly jealous. 

While the official guest list is always relatively secretive, there are a few people that we can expect to see, like the event’s hosts. This year, the Met Gala will be hosted by Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth—a unique group in and of itself. Also, according to an article from Variety, the red carpet livestream will be hosted by Gwendoline Christie, La La Anthony, and Ashley Graham. Emma Chamberlain, my personal favorite addition to the Met Gala scene, will also return as Vogue’s correspondent to conduct her delightful red carpet interviews. 

Personally, I am most excited to see what Zendaya wears to the gala, as she and her stylist, Law Roach, have consistently raised the bar in fashion over the past few years, especially at the recent press tour for her new movie, Challengers. For those of you who have seen Challengers already, I suspect that her costars, Mike Faist and Josh O’Conner, will also be in attendance at this year’s Met Gala. Lucky us! 

So, what will everyone be wearing?

Diverging from the more straightforward theme of last year’s Met Gala, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” this year’s theme is more metaphorical, and it will be paying tribute to the Costume Institute’s newest exhibit, entitled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” 

According to one Vogue article, the exhibition itself will be centered around pieces that are simply too fragile to ever be worn again. Fragility and beauty, aesthetics and ephemerality: these motifs are the direct link between the fashion in the exhibit and the Met Gala’s official dress code, which is “The Garden of Time.” As stated by Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge, the exhibition—and thus the gala itself—will be “very much an ode to nature and the emotional poetics of fashion.” 

It is hard to put into words how excited I am for this theme. I anticipate it being somewhat reminiscent of the glamor and beauty of a previous Met Gala theme, “Heavenly Bodies,” which would be incredible to see. I suspect that, as always, there will be some disappointing looks, but I also hope that the attendees and their stylists are willing to push the boundaries of what fashion can be, especially for an exhibit about reawakening fashion. 

okay, i’m excited! when is it and where can i watch?

This year, the Met Gala, which occurs every year on the first Monday in May, is set to fall on May 6th. 

For anyone like me who can hardly wait for the biggest night in fashion, make sure to tune into Vogue’s live stream, which will begin at 6:00 p.m. EST on May 6th. Also, digital platforms like TikTok and Instagram will likely be posting updates throughout the night, so be sure to check there for content as well! 

I hope you have all enjoyed my who, what, when, and where of this year’s Met Gala!

Make sure to tune in on May 6, 2024 for a night of fashion, celebrities, and art, oh my!