Details surrounding the 2021 Met Gala have finally emerged. The Met Gala is considered “fashion’s biggest night”, and acts as both a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and a chance for celebrities, up-and-coming stars, and fashion industry icons to debut extravagant custom-made looks with as much pomp, glamour, and media coverage as possible.
After the Gala was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, fashion enthusiasts, designers, and celebrities alike were left wondering whether it would be deemed safe enough to hold the Met Gala this year. This anticipation has finally been dispelled.
The Gala will be happening this year, though it will not take place on its usual first Monday in May. Instead, the Gala will be split into a two-part event, with the first event taking place on September 13th of this year, and the second event scheduled for May 2nd, 2022.
The two separate events will be have distinct focuses, but will be unified through one common theme: American Style. The first event, entitled “In America: a Lexicon of Fashion” will center around the vernacular surrounding the fashion industry, and how we describe and discuss it. The second soiree is “In America: An Anthology of Fashion”, which will present a timeline of American fashion and explore the narratives that connect to this history.
The Galas correspond with exhibitions within the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first exhibition will open September 18th 2021, and the second will open on May 5th 2022— just days after their respective Galas. Both will be on display until September 5th 2022.
The American theme centers around the notion that due to the Pandemic, we as a society have been compelled to run turn inward and have experienced an increased sense of connection with and awareness of our nation, our homes, and by extension with our clothes.
The information was announced with this Instagram post from the Costume Institute’s official account:
In the midst of this Instagram announcement and successive swirl of media articles one thing remains clear: that this Met Gala will be one of the most highly anticipated and discussed events of 2021 and 2022 which will make history for both the Metropolitan Costume Institute, and the fashion industry itself.