The Met Gala has always been headed by women, started by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert in 1948 as a fundraiser for the newly founded Costume Institute. In 1995 Anna Wintour led The Met Gala after the death of Mrs. Vreeland in 1989. And since then The Met Gala has been called Anna Wintour’s party.
Oscar-winning actors, Silicon Valley wunderkinder, designers, and fashion icons present their best selves at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the museum’s annual Met Gala. The gala is the main source of funding for the museum’s Costume Institute – a department at the Met that hosts around 33,000 objects representing centuries of fashion. How is the Gala connected to Anna Wintour?
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The Relation Between Anna Wintour And The Met Gala
The story of Anna Wintour heading the Met Gala has not only changed the media and society but also shows how a single event can solidify a woman’s power. Since 1999, Ms.Wintour has been the driving force behind transforming the Gala from a well-attended dinner for donors to one of the biggest charity events. From choosing a theme and curating the exhibition, to selecting the guests and deciding on the seating arrangements, everything lies in the hands of Wintour.
The editor-in-chief of Vogue opened up about her first experience at the Met Gala which was headed by Mrs.Vreeland at that time saying, “I remember going to The Met when I was there… and just being awed by what Mrs. Vreeland had done. It just seemed it was the most glamorous evening I’d ever been at… I didn’t go to the dinner. I couldn’t afford to go to the dinner. I was just at the cocktails.”
Upon Oscar de la Renta’s request, Anna Wintour took up the responsibility of helping the Costume Insitute. While leading The Met Gala for the first time, Wintour was extremely anxious. On the latest episode on ‘Table for Two‘ hosted by Bruce Bozzi the fashion powerhouse herself revealed, “I really was very naive, I think. I didn’t realize what I was stepping into and it just became something that I felt more and more passionate about over the years… It just grew over the years, but I can’t pretend that there was a grand plan or a grand strategy.”
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Why Is The 2023 Met Gala Theme Problematic?
Themes are something everyone looks forward to at the Met Gala. Last year’s theme was Gilded Glamour and a year before that focused on celebrating all things American fashion. The theme for the 2023 Met Gala is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. Lagerfeld was one of the first designers to channel his creative leadership into becoming a public figure in his own right and cultivating a persona as The Kaiser – a caricature of himself. He had been an anchor for Channel for over three decades and was celebrated for his innovative designs and unimaginable fashion shows.
Apart from his creative design, Karl Lagerfeld was known for his sharp tongue opinions and remarks. He has also had a history of saying misogynist, racist, and Islamaphobic comments. Lagerfeld’s most troubling comment was in the #MeToo movement. He went on defending Karl Templer, a designer who was accused of sexual misconduct by many models, and said he was “fed up with it”.
In an interview, Karl Lagerfeld said, “I read somewhere that now you must ask a model if she is comfortable with posing. It’s simply too much; from now on, as a designer, you can’t do anything. It’s unbelievable. If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery, there’ll always be a place for you in the convent. They’re recruiting even!” Yet despite the most disrespectful and degrading comments made by him, Karl Lagerfeld is still a celebrated designer in the fashion industry.
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