Slowly, things do seem to be getting back to normal. Despite the challenges of this past year, the Costume Institute has recently decided to move forward with their preparations for one of the most awaited events of the year: the Met Gala!

Typically held on the first Monday in May, the Met Gala is considered fashion’s biggest night, or, in other words, the Super Bowl of fashion. And it is to the excitement of many that the Met Gala is finally coming back.

However, this year the institute has announced the event will be somewhat different to what is accustomed. New information released indicated that the event will be a two-part exhibit: “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” and “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.”
Part one of the exhibit, “A Lexicon of Fashion,” will take place September 18 at the Anna Wintour Costume Center at the Met in New York, commemorating the Costume Institute’s 75th anniversary. There will be an intimate gala on September 13 to celebrate the exhibit’s opening, where Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka will cochair the event. Moreover, Tom Ford, Instagram’s Adam Mosserri, and Anna Wintour will be the honorary chairs.

This first part of the exhibit will be organized in a way that resembles a home with several intersecting walls and rooms. The names of the rooms will reflect the personal and emotional relationship people have to fashion: “Well-Being” for the kitchen galleries and “Trust” for the living room, for example.

On the other hand, part two, titled “An Anthology of Fashion,” will open in May 2022 in the rooms of the museum’s American Wing. In reality, part two is said to have preceded part one, for it actually inspired and informed it. This second exhibit is meant to bring together the hidden or untold stories about complicated or problematic interpretations of fashion in an anthology that challenges the way in which American fashion is perceived.

The second Met Gala will occur on May 2, 2022 marking the opening of An Anthology of American Fashion. The exhibit will be open until September of 2022, thanks in part to Instagram and the support from Condé Nast.

In addition to this, it has been confirmed that there will be a red carpet, although it will be a lot more intimate in order to follow COVID-19 safety protocols. The dress code, as one might imply, will be American Independence. Expect this theme to be interpreted in more ways than one, though.

“I think it will be exciting to see what designers will come up with,” junior Victoria Avila said.

You may also be asking “who will be invited?” Well, as in previous years, part of the fun of the Met Gala is not knowing who will be invited. Designers always invite the liveliest celebrities of the time as their guests, so you will most definitely see some of Hollywood’s biggest names on the carpet.

“I can’t wait to see who will attend this year’s Met Gala and especially what outfits they will be wearing,” junior Gigi Romero said.

One thing is sure: when it comes to the Met Gala, always expect the unexpected.