If you’re not yet prepped to watch the world’s biggest celebrities get dressed to the nines for the annual Met Gala (while sitting at home in your sweats or PJs — no judgment here) we’ve got your cheatsheet to getting ready.
Given that last year’s event was a more intimate affair than usual (due to pandemic restrictions), we’re expecting a triumphant return to big looks, bigger moments and plenty of huge stars on the red carpet.
What is the Met Gala?
On the first Monday of May each year, big names in fashion, music and the arts come together in an effort to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
Organized by iconic Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, the Met Gala is an annual event that aligns with the opening of the museum’s latest fashion exhibit. This particular Met Gala is celebrating the second instalment of the current fashion exhibit on display, titled, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” which will open on May 5th, 2022.
Oh, and did we mention that it’s easily the most exclusive fashion event of the year? Unless you’re a big name, it’s incredibly hard to get a look-in — so it’s lucky we can be a part of the experience by watching it from our own homes.
How do you watch the Met Gala?
Harry Styles at the 2019 Met Gala. The theme was “camp.”
Dia Dipasupil
We all know the most eye-catching part of the Met Gala is the red carpet, as all the celebrities brush shoulders in their most daring and avant-garde looks. The red carpet is livestreamed each year by Vogue, with celebrity hosts interviewing attendees as they walk up the steps to the Met.
Broadcast on Vogue.com, the livestream will kick off at 6 p.m. E.T. on May 2nd, and will also be available across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter via the Vogue channels.
This year the red carpet will be hosted by Vogue editor-at-large Hamish Bowles, Vanessa Hudgens and La La Anthony.
What is the theme of the 2022 Met Gala?
To coincide with the exhibit’s launch, the Met Gala has a dress theme each year. The last few Met Galas have been themed around concepts like “American Independence,” “Camp,” and “Heavenly Bodies,” so there’s historically been a lot of scope and opportunity for celebrities and guests to set the fashion world aflutter with a particularly daring look.
Despite some fashion critics suggesting that many of the looks showcased over the past few years haven’t really exemplified the theme, this year’s theme of Gilded Glamour may well turn the tide.
The Gilded Age era of US history was roughly between 1870 and 1900, and featured a time of rapid economic growth — with the fashion to match. We’re talking opulence, big ruffles, lots of ornamentation and attention-grabbing looks.
All in all, exactly what the Met Gala is all about.
Who is chairing the Met Gala this year?
One of the biggest honors in fashion, the co-chairs of the Met Gala are tasked with setting the tone for the entire evening. This year the event is being co-chaired by Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Regina King, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In previous years, this honor has gone to everyone from socialites and magazine editors to designers, actors and musicians. In 2021, the event was co-chaired by Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, Naomi Osaka and Timothée Chalamet.