The first Monday in May is fast approaching, which means the Met Museum is gearing up for its annual fundraising gala.
A chance to raise money for The Costume Institute, unveil its yearly exhibition, and challenge celebrities to an epic red carpet dress-off, the flashy affair is basically fashion's biggest night out.
Last year's exhibition, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, will continue with part two: In America: An Anthology of Fashion. While part one largely focused on contemporary American labels both emerging and established, its continuation will delve into the history of 19th to 20th century American dress.
Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show will also include "cinematic vignettes" from eight film directors including Janicza Bravo (Zola), Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), and Sofia Coppola (too many iconic titles to list).
As for the gala itself, this year's hosts are an eclectic bunch: Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Regina King. Lin-Manuel Miranda was supposed to host as well but dropped out over COVID-19 concerns. (Ever thought Serena van der Woodsen would team up with Alexander Hamilton? Me neither.)
Tom Ford, Anna Wintour, and Instagram's Adam Mosseri will continue their role as honorary co-chairs.
Lively, Reynolds, and Co. are a pretty sharp pivot from Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, and Naomi Osaka, the young millennial/Gen Z stars who presided over last year's gala.
While this year's celebrity lineup might not inspire the same youthful frenzy as Timmy and Billie, the Met Gala never fails to produce some history-making red carpet wins (and a few Ls, too).
Speaking of the red carpet, Wintour announced this year's gala theme: Gilded Glamour, a dress code that has me fantasizing about Rihanna in Schiaparelli Spring 2022 couture.
Now, who wants to start betting on how many attendees will ignore the theme and wear Balenciaga?
