Culture

From Midnight Suppers to Global Spectacle: The Met Gala’s Evolution

Trace the Met Gala’s journey from its 1948 charity supper to the star‑studded 2025 edition, revealing how fashion’s biggest night became a pop‑culture powerhouse.

Por: Angela Leon Cervera
Met Gala

Picture this: New York, 1948. Fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert corrals the city’s style elites for a midnight chicken‑salad supper at the Waldorf‑Astoria, raising funds for the fledgling Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

Flash‑forward to 2025 and that humble benefit has morphed into the Met Gala—a global pop‑culture juggernaut where tickets can cost more than a compact car and livestreams rival award‑show ratings.

 

What happened in those 77 whirlwind years? Let’s pull back the velvet rope and find out.

Who Sparked the Met Gala’s First Makeover?

In the early 1970s, former Vogue editor‑in‑chief Diana Vreeland joined the Costume Institute as “special consultant” and promptly sprinkled her trademark stardust on the party.

 

She moved the dinner inside the museum, introduced themed exhibitions, and invited luminaries from Hollywood (think Elizabeth Taylor) to mingle with New York socialites.

 

The result: the Gala traded Waldorf chicken salad for Champagne under the Temple of Dendur—and the fashion press took note.

What Role Did Anna Wintour Play in Super‑Sizing the Spectacle?

Since 1995, Vogue power editor Anna Wintour has chaired (some say quarterbacked) the event, refining the guest list to a tightly curated who’s‑who of designers, celebrities, athletes, and freshly minted Internet sensations. Under her reign:

 

  • Theme synergy: Every look on the carpet must nod to the exhibition, spawning iconic outfits—from Rihanna’s fur‑trimmed Guo Pei cape (“China: Through the Looking Glass,” 2015) to Billie Eilish’s Marilyn‑esque Oscar de la Renta (“In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” 2021).

  • Ticket inflation: Prices soared from four‑figure donations to reportedly $75,000 per seat, funneling millions into the Costume Institute’s coffers.

  • Cultural cachet: The first Monday in May is now a meme factory and red‑carpet litmus test for daring couture.

How Have the Gala’s Themes Reflected (and Shaped) Cultural Conversations?

From Vreeland’s debut theme—“The World of Balenciaga” (1973)—to the boundary‑pushing “Camp: Notes on Fashion” (2019), the Gala’s annual concept doubles as a sartorial challenge. A few milestone moments:

 

  • “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” (2018) drew record‑breaking crowds and sparked academic debates on sacred imagery and glamour.

  • “Manus × Machina” (2016) showcased technology’s infiltration into haute couture, complete with LED gowns.

  • “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” (2025)—this year’s edition—celebrates Black dandyism and its global influence, co‑chaired by the likes of Colman Domingo and Pharrell Williams.

Met Gala History

  • When did the Met Gala start? It began in 1948 as a midnight benefit supper organized by Eleanor Lambert.
  • Why is it called the Costume Institute Benefit? Because proceeds support the museum’s Costume Institute, funding exhibitions, acquisitions, and digitization.
  • Who decides the annual theme? The Costume Institute’s curatorial team (currently led by Andrew Bolton) collaborates with Vogue and the Met’s leadership.
  • Has the Gala ever been canceled? Yes—in 2020 due to the pandemic and in 2002 following 9/11.
  • How much money does the event raise? Recent galas have topped $15 million in a single night.

From Waldorf midnight munchies to livestreamed fashion fantasia, the Met Gala mirrors the shifting seams of society—where philanthropy meets performance and a red carpet can rewrite style history in a single strut.

 

As the 2025 theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” reminds us, the Gala isn’t just about who wears what; it’s about whose stories get woven into fashion’s grand tapestry.

 

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