Next Year
Fashion Publicist_Eleanor Lambert
The Met Gala was established in 1948 by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert as a way to raise money for the newly-founded Costume Institute and mark the opening of its annual exhibit. The first gala was a dinner and tickets were fifty dollars each. For the first few decades of its existence the gala was simply one of many annual benefits held for New York charitable institutions. Accordingly, the attendees of the early galas were almost entirely members of New York high society or the city's fashion industry. From 1948 to 1971, the event was held at venues including the Waldorf-Astoria, Central Park, and the Rainbow Room.
During the Vreeland years
When Diana Vreeland became consultant to the Costume Institute in 1972, the Gala began to evolve into a more glamorous affair, although one that was still aimed at the societal set. The event started to become more celebrity-oriented with attendees like Elizabeth Taylor, Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Diana Ross, Elton John, Liza Minnelli and Cher intermixing with the city's elite. It was during the Vreeland years that the Gala was first held at the Met and that Gala themes were introduced.
Red Carpet Fashions
The Met Costume Institute Gala is a major fundraising benefit that serves as an opening celebration for the Institute's annual fashion exhibit. Following the event, the exhibition runs for several months. The 2014 exhibition was scheduled to run from May 8 until August 10, 2014. The affair, attended by personalities from the arts, fashion, high-society, film, and music, has been held at the Met since 1948 and is considered to be the fashion industry's premier annual red carpet event. Its red carpet fashions are widely photographed, reviewed, critiqued, and emulated. The museum is closed to the general public on the first Monday of May due to the Gala occurring.
Chairwoman of the Gala event_Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour, Vogue editor-in-chief and a chairwoman of the Gala event since 1995 (excluding 1996 and 1998), oversees both the benefit committee and the guest list, with Vogue staffers helping assemble the list of invitees. In 2014, the individual tickets cost US$30,000 for those outside the official guest list, after prices were raised by $10,000 to increase the exclusivity of the event. The annual guest list is limited to approximately 650 or 700 people.
