The Oscars Of Fashion: Here’s WHY You Need To Know Everything About The Met Gala 2019

When Priyanka Chopra walked the red carpet for the Met Gala 2018, all dressed up in a  deep red velvet gown and a bejewelled hood, we were shook. Keeping her fashion choices true to the theme of the event, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, the Bollywood+Hollywood actress made heads turn and how. 
We are all aware of the annual event that sees a bevvy of stars and models make their way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, but why? And what actually happens at the renowned Met Gala? Before the much-awaited event takes places on the first Monday of May this year, read all there is to know about the Met Gala, the red carpet history and more. 

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What Is The Met Gala?

As the world awaits the Met Gala 2019, which will be held on 6th May, we bring to you its significance and why it is important. The event, which first started in 1946, is an evening where Hollywood stars, designers and leading editors come together at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Each year, there is a theme given to the coveted event, and guests are dressed to fit into it. Touted as the biggest event in the fashion industry, the Oscars of fashion if you may, it takes place on the first Monday of May every year. Some of the striking themes from past years continue to be unforgettable even today. Case in point: ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’ in 2011 and ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and The Catholic Imagination’ in 2018. 

Why Does The Met Gala Happen?

Extravagant fashion and avant-garde choices are the highlights of the Met Gala red carpet, but essentially, the aim is to celebrate and raise funds for the Costume Institute’s exhibition, also on the selected theme. So the red carpet is only one part of it, the main idea behind the event is its fundraising initiative. Artistic director for Condé Nast and editor for American Vogue—Anna Wintour—who also happens to be chair of the Met Gala, works closely with her team and head curator Andrew Bolton to organise the biggest fashion event of the year.  

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Met Gala 2019: Everything You Need To Know

With the 71st Met Gala being just around the corner, fashion enthusiasts are excited for what’s to come. This year, the theme is ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’, the meaning and significance of which you will be reading later in this story. Can you go to the Met Gala? The answer is no, for the evening is an invite-only event where every invitee gets the seal of approval from Ms Wintour herself. Most of the designers and brands take celebrity guests who wear their ensembles along, though not all of them have to buy the ticket to the Met Gala. For the multinational giants and other biggies who have to, tickets can be anywhere from $35,000 (Rs 24,29,437) for individuals and $300,000 (Rs 2,08,23,750) for collective tables. Take your time to process that. Now going to the Met Gala may be out of the question, but that doesn’t mean you can’t check out the red carpet which goes from wow to whacky in no time. 

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Met Gala 2019: Theme

As mentioned earlier, the Met Gala 2019 theme is ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’, which is what the celebrities will have to adhere to while attending, and which will also be the theme of the exhibit inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The theme is inspired by Susan Sontag’s phenomenal essay named ‘Notes on Camp’, published in 1964. So what exactly is ‘camp’? According to Sontag’s essay, the beauty of camp lies in the “unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration”. The word ‘camp’ is derived from the French verb se camper, which signifies ‘to strike an exaggerated pose’, something that was applauded and advertised in the court of Versailles in the times of King Louis XIV, known as the ‘Sun King’ and one of the foremost appreciators of camp fashion.

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Were the opulent settings then something that can now be characterised as camp? Yes. But camp does not simply rely on exaggeration or artifice; it is about having fun, without consciously dressing for it. In today’s age, Alessandro Michele led Gucci is the perfect example of camp fashion- out there and at times provocative, but mostly, not at all serious. The once-bankrupt fashion house has mostly recently tapped into the meme culture and young illustrators to make a fashion statement—a very ‘camp’ aspect.  

Met Gala 2019: What To Expect

Image source: Instagram

Image source: Instagram

Speaking of Gucci, Alessandro Michele is a co-chair at the Met Gala 2019, as is Harry Styles, who may as well be the poster child for Gucci. Other celebrities who will be co-chairing the event are Lady Gaga, known for her outrageous dressing choices (the meat dress comes to mind) and Serena Williams who famously wore a catsuit after returning to the tennis court post pregnancy.

Image source: Instagram

Image source: Instagram

With such dynamic hosts, what can one expect from the Met Gala 2019? For one, extravagant outfits are bound to be the order of the day, as is a bevvy of celebrities attending. Think everyone from Rihanna, the all-time star of the Met Gala who nails it every time to Emilia Clarke, the star of Game of Thrones who is supposed to be in attendance. Of course, we are also counting on Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas to arrive hand-in-hand, which shouldn’t come as surprise, for the couple first went to the Met Gala together for Ralph Lauren in 2017 and the rest, as they say, is history. Additionally, one can also expect Bollywood star Deepika Padukone to make an appearance, as she did for designer Prabal Gurung in 2018. And remember those meme-inspired gowns from Viktor and Rolf? You might be seeing more of them on the red carpet. 

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Coming to the exhibition itself, the museum will be celebrating the ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’ via different costumes and artefacts sourced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The Costume Institute earlier released an image of Keiynan Lonsdale and Ezra Miller wearing Thom Browne, and if it is anything to go by, you can expect fireworks. 

Best Dressed Celebrities

We know what to expect from the Met Gala 2019, but how about seeing some of the best-dressed celebs over the years? From Cher to Priyanka Chopra, see who stepped out on the Met Gala red carpet and stole our hearts!

Cher

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Bianca Jagger

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Naomi Campbell

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Sarah Jessica Parker

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Princess Diana

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Amber Valetta

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Amy Adams

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Gwyneth Paltrow

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Gisele Bundchen

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Beyonce

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Amal Clooney

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Nicole Kidman

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Bella Hadid

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Solange Knowles

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Gigi Hadid

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Blake Lively

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Rooney Mara

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Kate Moss

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Beyonce

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Priyanka Chopra

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Rihanna

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Deepika Padukone

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Worst Dressed Celebrities

The Met Gala red carpet may have its fair share of celebrities and fashion’s firsts, but that doesn’t mean that an element of faux-pas isn’t around. From frumpy dresses and shabby fits to dresses not worn according to the theme or taken too OTT, the red carpet of the Met Gala has its unfashionable moments too. Take a look at the celebrities who didn’t make the cut over the years. 

Victoria Beckham

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Polly Mellen

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Hillary Clinton

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Madonna

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Jessica Simpson

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Katy Perry

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Kirsten Stewart

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Coco Rocha

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Sandra Lee

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Nicki Minaj

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Sarah Jessica Parker

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Freida Pinto

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Sarah Jessica Parker

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Amal Clooney

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Solange Knowles

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Kim Kardashian

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Selena Gomez

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Kylie Jenner

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Kendall Jenner

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Janelle Monae

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Katy Perry

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Are you well-versed in all there is to know about the Met Gala? We sure hope so!

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