An In-Depth Look Into The Post-Pandemic Version of The Met Gala

The Met Gala is said to be the biggest night of the year in the world of fashion. Because of the pandemic, last year’s Met Gala was canceled, meaning that the 2021 festivity was the first to take place since 2019.

Typically held to both fundraise and celebrate the new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in which the affair is hosted, the Met Gala is usually themed around that year’s featured art exhibition at the Museum’s Costume Institute. Previous themes of the past include religion, camp, and punk. This year, the Met Gala celebrated American Fashion. The annual exhibition was presented in two parts: “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” and “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” Both presentations were directed by Andrew Bolton, known as the ‘Wendy Yu’ director in charge of the Costume Institute.

The first presentation opened on September 18, focusing on how fashion in the US has changed in recent years and how it was influenced by both politics and social justice. Part two of the exhibition is scheduled to open on May 5, 2022, alongside a second Met Gala, which will take place three days prior in order to mark the opening of the show.

In an interview with the well-known fashion magazine publication, Vogue, Bolton stated: “I’ve been really impressed by American designers and their responses to the social and political climate. Especially issues that surround gender fluidity and body inclusivity, which made me see their work as something extremely self-reflective.”

Christine L., a freshman at AISG, commented on this year’s Met Gala: “I noticed throughout the past few years how American fashion has evolved within its inclusivity. I’ve seen multiple times where the public—especially our younger generation—is using their voices to speak out on the faults in the fashion industry. Through their active criticism, there has been a notable change within our society.”