I have always looked forward to the first Monday of May; after all, it is not your average, feeling-the-blues kind of Monday. It is the Met Monday, which hosts the world’s most iconic and extravagant fashion event. Celebrities, designers, stylists, makeup artists and hairdressers from all over the world descend upon this opulent red carpet to get a click in their dazzling fabric. For me, this occasion has always been special as it celebrates fashion in its truest form. But in recent years, the Met hasn’t felt the same. Time and again, it has been seen that the celebrities have deviated from the theme and, rather, have opted to wear safe, brand-driven costumes that value aesthetics over the theme.
The Kardashian sisters, Kendall Jenner and Kim Kardashian, in 2023 and 2024, respectively, proved loud and clear their disregard for the theme. And so had Olivia Wilde in 2023, when she wore a basic white cut dress to mark her tribute to the legendary Karl Lagerfeld. Instead, it turned out to be too safe. This makes me question, has The Met Gala become just another sloppy and photo-grabbing opportunity for the celebrities? Or is it just evolving?
The Golden Age
Do you remember the era from 2015-2019, when the Met was a revered and coveted event? Both the designers and the celebrities who graced the red carpet acknowledged the theme with their inspiring and jaw-dropping dresses. Rihanna’s yellow Guo Pei gown for 2015’s theme, “China: Through the Looking Glass”, not only served as a meme but also swept the fashion carpet by becoming one of the best looks in the history of the Gala. Zendaya, along with her stylist, Law Roach, is known for reigning the fashion world with her bold and lavish choices. Be it her 2018 look for “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”, where she wore a custom silver armoured gown with her newly dyed red hair, or her 2017 off shoulder, voluminous silhouette with a bold print, she knows well how to serve her looks.
This period saw the emergence of designers and celebrities making efforts to keep the Met’s spirit alive by indulging in crafting memorable and meticulous looks, which took years to make. The dedication of these artists is a true testament as to why The Met Gala is still the most awaited as well as the most judged event in the entire world. And that’s why the 2019 Met Gala is considered to be the best Met Gala. From Lady Gaga’s four-part outfit reveal to Billy Porter’s theatrical entry carried by six shirtless men to Zendaya again leaving the critics and audience in awe with her Cinderella look, the gala is surely going down in fashion history.
Rise of Social Media and Overexposure
The first Met Gala, which was held in 1948, was a far cry from the extravaganza which we see today. Founded by Eleanor Lambert, a fashion publicist, the purpose of the event was to raise money for the newly founded Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The tickets weren’t pricey, and it surely wasn’t a photogenic event. Fast forward to 2025, the occasion, which was once an exclusive and invitation-only night, has turned into a money-making machine. Today, every dress, jewellery, footwear and even the poses are scrutinised by the people through a live feed. Instagram, Twitter, Google and YouTube serve as a medium for offering a minute-by-minute coverage; the moment you refresh your feed, you are presented with a new poser on the red carpet.
There was a time when we eagerly waited for the couture images to splash on Vogue’s website to see a glimpse of the fashion heaven created by Anna Wintour. But that’s not the case anymore. We get to see influencers and legendary celebrities walking the same red carpet, wearing the same designers, and even sharing the same space. It was reported that around $500 million was generated in the 2025 Met Gala by merely focusing on media coverage. Although it is a favourable result for the Museum, it leads us to the question – has the Met been monetised and overexposed to such an extent that it might have lost its original magic?
Loss of Theme and Authenticity
Over the years, the Met has garnered applause for its raved storytelling through its unique themes. But since the past few years, it has been observed that the stylists as well as the designers have been trying to play too safe and in the due course, have turned a blind eye to the theme, which is the main crux of the event. Where attendees once dressed to the nines for the biggest nights in fashion, as seen in themes like “Heavenly Bodies” and “Punk: Chaos to Couture”, they now come dressed in couture, which vaguely resonates with the theme.
Leading the bandwagon in disregarding the theme, Kim Kardashian tops the list. Her complete ignorance of the 2023 theme, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, was visible when she wore a pearl dress by Schiaparelli, which had nothing in common with the legendary designer’s styling. Dua Lipa, in the same year, wore a simple but vintage Chanel gown – yet it missed the mark. Shawn Mendes, for the 2021 theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”, stepped out in an open leather jacket with no shirt. The look, though appreciated, was more of an award show costume rather than for The Met Gala. If these A-listers could not nail and understand the essence of the theme, maybe they should take reference from the debutantes, who seem to perform better than these veterans.
Let’s Settle the Question - Has the Met Gala Really Lost Its Charm?
It is obvious that the ‘Superbowl of Fashion’ has met with its own set of critiques and support over the years. Some say that it has lost the charisma and excitement it used to carry, while some believe that it is undergoing its evolution. Indeed, the event has now been tailored to grab more likes and viewership, but one cannot deny the fact that the looks served are still the hot topic for all the fashionistas.
For now, there is no other event comparable to the Met Gala in the world. Every celebrity wants to walk that carpet, every designer wants their costume to take the centre stage, and every media house wants to be the first to post those looks. But the answer to the question whether the event will be commercialised more in the future or will lose its relevance in the young generation lies in the future.