Met Gala

Met Gala 2022 Is Tonight! Who Is Going, What's the Theme and Everything Else to Know

The Met Gala theme for this year is “Gilded glamour, white tie,” here's everything else you need to know about fashion's biggest night

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News 4 joins Sydney Sadick to discus this year’s Met Gala theme, “Gilded Glamour & White-Tie.”

It started in 1948 as a society midnight supper, and it wasn’t even at the Met.

Fast forward 70-plus years, and the Met Gala is something totally different, one of the most photographed events in the world for its head-spinning red carpet — though the famous carpeted steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art aren’t always red.

We’re talking Rihanna as a bejeweled pope. Zendaya as Cinderella with a light-up gown. Katy Perry as a chandelier morphing into a hamburger. Also: Beyoncé in her “naked dress.” Kim Kardashian in a face-covering bodysuit. Billy Porter as an Egyptian sun god, carried on a litter by six shirtless men. And Lady Gaga’s 16-minute striptease.

Not to forget, the Met Gala is still a fundraiser — last year the evening earned more than a whopping $16.4 million for the Met’s Costume Institute. Let’s also not forget that it launches the annual spring fashion exhibit that brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to the museum.

But it’s the Met Gala carpet itself (now watchable for everyone, on livestream) that draws the world’s eyes, with the guest list strategically withheld until the last minute — a collection of stars from movies, music, fashion, sports, politics and elsewhere that probably makes for the highest celebrity wattage-per square foot of any party in the world.

Herewith, a primer for the 2022 Met gala, which is on May 2:

AGAIN, ALREADY?

Yes, we just did this in the fall. The annual fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute is traditionally held the first Monday in May, but because of the pandemic, a postponed gala was held in September.

WHO’S HOSTING THE 2022 MET GALA?

This year’s hosts are Regina King, power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

September's slate of hosts included Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka.

Of course, Vogue’s Anna Wintour is supervising the whole shebang as she has since the ’90s. Her fellow honorary co-chairs are designer Tom Ford and Instagram head Adam Mosseri.

See some of the top looks from the 2021 Met Gala.

IS THERE A THEME FOR THE MET GALA?

Of course. The Met Gala theme for this year is “Gilded glamour, white-tie,” guests have been told.

As usual, the sartorial theme comes from the exhibit the gala launches: “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” which is the second of star curator Andrew Bolton’s two-part show exploring the roots of American style.

This one will showcase some lesser-known designers, and also some top film directors, including Sofia Coppola, Martin Scorsese, host King, and last year’s Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. Their work will be displayed in the period rooms of the American Wing, so expect some grand fashion, like those gowns from HBO’s “The Gilded Age.” Artfully ripped jeans, this time? Not so much.

DOES EVERYONE FOLLOW THE MET GALA THEME?

Not really. Some eschew it and just go for big and crazy. But expect some guests to have carefully researched the theme and to come in perfect sync with the exhibit. It was hard to beat the carpet, for example, when the theme was “Catholic imagination” and Rihanna came as the pope, Zendaya channeled Joan of Arc, and Perry navigated the crowd with a set of enormous angel wings.

HOW MUCH DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR A MET GALA TICKET?

Wrong question. You cannot just “buy” a ticket. The right question is, IF I were famous or powerful and got invited, how much would it cost?

IF I GOT INVITED TO THE MET GALA, HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?

Well, you might not pay yourself. Generally, companies buy tables. A fashion label — Michael Kors, for example — would then host its desired celebrities or fashion muses. But each paid seat reportedly costs around $35,000, though some guests are invited for free.

SO WHO GETS INVITED TO THE MET GALA?

This year, there will be 400 guests — similar to the September gala, and lower than pre-pandemic highs of 500-600. Trying to predict? Take out your pen and jot down some A-listers, the buzzier the better. Regular attendees include Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Rihanna, as well as the muses of the biggest designers: think Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Newly minted Oscar or Grammy winners, for example — or fashion favorites like Chalamet, who wore white Converse shoes last year. Do the same with pop music, sports, politics, fashion of course … and Broadway, a special favorite of Wintour’s (and remember, Miranda's a host this year). Now, cross everyone off your list except the very top.

At the Met Gala, everybody’s A-list.

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The theme of the 2022 Met Gala was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” Host Blake Lively made several best dressed lists, as did fashion favorites Gigi Hadid and Carbi B.
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Among the famous actors, musicians, and fasion icons, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez managed to stand out at the 2021 Met Gala. Her “tax the rich” gown made headlines, but didn’t steal the entire show. Big choices for the “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” theme were made by Iman and Lil Nas X, who each shined in their own way.
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Who could forget the iconic Lady Gaga entrance at the 2019 Met Gala. Dressed for “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” the acclaimed singer surprised us all with numerous changes on the red carpet. But the NYC native wasn’t the only celebrity turning heads. Zendaya wowed in a Cinderella-inspired look, including a miniature carriage. Jared Leto, on the other hand, brought a head look-a-like.
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The 2018 Met gala had a divine theme with “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Guests like Madonna, in Jean Paul Gaultier, and Rhianna, donning a Pope-inspired ensemble by Maison Margiela that included a papal mitre, rose to the occasion in their looks. Miley Cyrus may have missed the memo on “heavenly” because her backless Stella McCartney dress was positively sinful.
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Claire Danes lit up the red carpet, literally, at the 2016 "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" exhibition benefit in a one-of-a-kind Zac Posen gown crafted from organza and fiber optics. The "Homeland" actress looked like an intergalactic Cinderella in the high-tech garment.
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"Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," brought plenty of silver and metallics to the steps of the Metropolitan Museum. The Costume Institute's spring 2016 exhibition explored how fashion designers are reconciling the handmade and the machine-made in the creation of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear. And though most celebs interpreted that to mean metals, silver, and sequin embellishment, others — like model Rosie Huntington-Whitely, left, in Ralph Lauren, comedian Amy Schumer, center, in Alexander Wang, and model Emily Ratajkowski — appeared to ignore the theme altogether.
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Rihanna was one of the few celebrities to wear a creation by a Chinese designer for 2015's "China: Through The Looking Glass" theme. Guo Pei’s imperial yellow, fur-trimmed cape that was embroidered with scrolls and scrolls (and scrolls) of flora, shut down the red carpet at the Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City.
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Jennifer Lopez, left, fused the "China: Through The Looking Glass" theme in an Atelier Versace illusion gown that depicted a red dragon embroidered around her body in ruby crystals. Justin Bieber, center, wore a custom Balmain dragon-embroidered blazer. On the right, Kristen Wiig's flowing chiffon Prabal Gurung number may have embraced the color scheme, but the dress was more Grecian than Chinese.
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Charles James designed sumptuous, structured gowns with a mathematical approach and innovative tailoring. Designer Zac Posen dressed both Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, left, and model Liu Wen, center, in elaborately constructed dresses for 2014's theme of "Charles James: Beyond Fashion." Influences of James can been seen in the gravity-defying folds of fabric in Wen’s gown, and Von Teese’s heavily tailored mermaid dress. Kristen Stewart’s loose-fitting Chanel dress is just "beyond fashion" and not at all inspired by James' work.
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The "Punk: Chaos to Couture" theme for the 2013 Met Gala focused on the origins of the punk movement and how the style has influenced couture and ready-to-wear over the years. From the studded Burberry gown to her sharp pendants, model Cara Delevingne, left, oozed punk. As did Polish model Anja Rubik, center, who rocked an Anthony Vaccarello red leather mini featuring an asymmetric chain-mail cut-out panel. Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton appeared to have ignored the punk dress code, donning a bright green Diane Von Furstenberg dress. However, she made a slight reference to the era with a backcombed hairdo.
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Kim Kardashian, pictured with husband Kanye West, turned heads in a memorable Riccardo Tisci flowered gown at the Costume Institute Gala for the "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" exhibition at the Met. Though Tisci defended the look, saying she was "the most beautiful pregnant woman I dressed in my career,” critics noted that pink flowers aren't very "punk."
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In 2013, the "Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations" exhibition pointed out the similarities in the imaginative designs of Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, two Italian women who challenged conventional notions of beauty and chic, focusing on seven themes. Camille Belle's Ralph Lauren number reflected "The Classical Body," which explores the designers' influence of old world glamour in their gowns. In the center, Beyoncé's Givenchy gown represented the designers' use of detailed embellishment in the "Waist Up/Waist Down" theme. Designer Marc Jacobs turned heads on the red carpet with a long black lace tunic by Commes des Garçons over a pair of white boxer shorts and pilgrim shoes because “I just didn't want to wear a tuxedo and be boring.”
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The 2008 Met Gala "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" theme looked at how designers drew inspiration from superhero costumes, such as the cape on Amber Valeta's Versace gown, center, or the Wonder Woman-esque red corset Christina Ricci, left, rocked under her pink chiffon Givenchy dress. Gisele Bundchen, right, may have looked super stunning in her backless pink Versace gown, but the look was a superhero fail.
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Paul Poiret was a pioneer in modern fashion, doing away with the corset and embracing the notion of personal style. He was among the first to use draping in dressmaking and he had no problem putting pants on women. At the 2007 Met Gala themed "Poiret: King of Fashion," Gisele Bundchen, left, and Iman, center with husband David Bowie, elegantly interpreted Poiret's progressive style. Renee Zellweger, right, chose a tight-fitting Carolina Herrera, a silhouette Poiret worked to liberate women from.

THAT MUST BE AN EXAGGERATION

Not really. Ask Tina Fey. She went in 2010 and later described walking around trying to find somebody “normal,” e.g. not too famous, to sit and talk with. That ended up being Barbara Walters.

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED IN THE MET GALA?

Well, these days you can watch the whole carpet unfold on livestream. And really, the carpet is the party. (Ask Gaga!)

If you're in New York City you can also join fans across the street from the museum on Fifth Avenue, and even further away on Madison Avenue, pressed up against police barricades. You might get lucky: Last year, Chalamet ran over to greet his admirers.

DO WE KNOW WHO'S COMING? AND WHO ISN'T?

Like we said, it’s secret. But reports slip out, often about who is not coming. Fashion favorite Zendaya has confirmed she has other plans. And Rihanna is about to give birth, so we’d assume she’ll skip, but then again, she’s Rihanna so let’s not assume anything. And being pregnant didn't stop Kim Kardashian from attending in 2013.

She may still be Jenny from the Block, but Jennifer Lopez brought a decidedly western look to the Met Gala on Monday.

WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE THE MET GALA?

Entering the museum, guests walk past an impossibly enormous flower arrangement in the lobby (one was over 250,000 white roses) and over to cocktails, often held in the airy Petrie Court. Or, they head to view the exhibit.

Around 8 p.m., they’re summoned to dinner — perhaps by a team of buglers (“Are they going to do that between every course?” actor Gary Oldman asked aloud one year.) We can’t personally describe anything beyond that, either dinner or the musical performance, but you can find clips of Rihanna singing on the table tops in the documentary “The First Monday in May,” and it looks fun.

IS IT FUN FOR EVERYONE?

Occasionally, someone says no. Fey, in a comic rant to David Letterman in 2015, described the gala as a “jerk parade” and said it included everyone you’d ever want to punch if you had millions of arms.

Amy Schumer said she felt awkward and left “earlier than should be allowed.” But most profess to having fun.

Then there was Joan Collins, who arrived channeling her imperious “Dynasty” character, Alexis, in 2018, ready to have a blast, but seeking liquid sustenance. “I’m having a great time,” she told The Associated Press. “I’d be even better if I had a drink.”

Singer and Met Gala co-chair Billie Eilish set a high bar in her first Met Gala, walking up the stairs in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired look.
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