The Met Gala 2022 lived up to its reputation. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Monday evening paraded hundreds of international stars, in extravagant outfits, for an annual philanthropic evening after two editions upset by the pandemic. The event resulted in a flood of images of stars responding to this year’s dress code, “Gilded Glamour”, which refers to the “Gilded Age”, the American golden age of the late 19th century (a period also marked by a strong social divide and an increase in racism, also recalls the Huffington Post).
The stars followed one another in strapless dresses, tuxedos, ultra chic outfits, hyper glamorous, sparkling, implausible or even carrying a political message, on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met). Even invited, the ticket cost 35,000 dollars for a place at the gala dinner, 200,000 to 300,000 dollars the table paid by a patron, according to unofficial figures for 2021. That is an estimated total of more than 16 million dollars.
Blake Lively, star of the evening
The list of 400 stars of fashion, music, cinema, social networks, politics or business – mainly American – was kept secret until the last moment: we saw Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Lenny Kravitz, Ariana DeBose, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gigi and Bella Hadid… Stromae was present and told AFP that he found it “weird” to be there but that he felt “honored”, him the “little Belgian”. Invited by YouTube, Léna Situations also walked the red carpet in a flowery dress.
First arrivals, youtuber Emma Chamberlain appeared in a sublime Louis Vuitton dress and the high priestess of the event, the all-powerful editor-in-chief of vogue Anna Wintour, in a Chanel ensemble.
In terms of outfits, Kim Kardashian made an impression by sporting a sparkling beige dress, a copy of the one worn by Marilyn Monroe during her famous song Happy Birthday Mr President, as we approach the 60th anniversary of the death of the global icon. Flute in hand, Lizzo also stood out with a splendid black and gold adornment. But the prize for the style of the evening goes to Blake Lively and her evolutionary Versace dress worthy of Donkey Skin.
“The end of gun violence”
The gala is also the occasion for a political message: the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, arrived with a jacket that carried his campaign slogan on the back demanding “an end to gun violence” in a city plagued by crime.
The richest man in the world, the whimsical Elon Musk, raised his arms in front of the crowd. In the process of buying Twitter, he promised on the red carpet to make it the “most inclusive social network possible”. Hillary Clinton praised the “spirit of America” radiating at the gala.
In the pure American philanthropic tradition, the evening, which takes place on the first Monday of May, is intended to finance the Met’s fashion department (The Costume Institute) and coincides with its major annual exhibition. It was presented Monday morning to the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, who saw in it “the celebration of the designers and fashion who have shaped the true identity of America”.
The gala was held as journalists and editors from vogue and other titles from the Condé Nast group (QG, Vanity Fair, Glamour etc.) started a movement to create a union, which they recalled on social networks with a cover pastiche of vogue : “Met Gala 2022 the longest night of the workers”.
Created in 1948, the Met Gala was long reserved for New York’s very high society, but Anna Wintour, who took it over in 1995, transformed it into a people’s event adapted to the era of social networks. . This year, the title of honorary co-president was also offered to the boss of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, alongside Anna Wintour and stylist Tom Ford.