This widely influential event was founded by prominent fashion publicist, Eleanor Lambert. In the early years following its inception in 1948, the Costume Institute Gala was a small platform for high-profile individuals to sport their custom finery for a good cause.  Just over 20 years later, in the 1970s, Diana Vreeland’s fearless leadership elevated the event to international acclaim.

Since Anna Wintour’s long-standing reign, beginning in 1995 the Met Gala has assumed a mythological, legendary status, attracting the undivided attention of fashion-lovers across the globe. The annual themes set by the ever-changing organising committee seek to spark conversations about culture and identity through the medium of fashion. Designers, artists, and celebrities collaborate on show-stopping garments in the hopes of rooting themselves as icons within the event’s proud history.

 2024: “THE GARDEN OF TIME”

This year’s gala, hosted by co-chairs Zendaya, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and, of course, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, featured some of the Costume Institute’s most fragile pieces – so fragile, in fact, that they can never be worn again.

The glitterati were out in full force in support of the Costume Institute, dressing to the theme “The Garden of Time”. As any Met Gala enthusiast would know, interpretations of the gala's annual dress codes have been many and varied, with some missing the mark and others going down in the history books.