The theme for the 2024 Met Gala exhibition has been revealed as “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” According to a Vogue article announcing the theme, “The exhibit will feature approximately 250 rare items drawn from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection.” These pieces span over 400 years, from the Elizabethan era to the modern day, and will be divided into three “zones” of land, sea and sky, as the pieces will pay tribute to the natural world. The theme emphasizes looks that incorporate natural sustainability and imaginative innovation as well as classic and historical looks. There are even pieces in the exhibit that are too fragile to be worn again and will be displayed via video animation, light projection, AI and CGI. Experts are predicting that guests will largely come dressed in replicas of historical pieces that have been altered and reimagined to breathe new life into them.
There is already some drama surrounding this theme announcement, as audiences suspect that it is in response to Kim Kardashian’s scandal at the 2022 Met Gala, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” She wore the original dress on the red carpet that Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Kardashian was under fire after she reportedly damaged the dress, and photos of the dress missing rhinestones and having tears near the seams surfaced online. Both Kardashian and Ripley’s, who stored the dress, have made it clear that she did not cause damage to the dress when she wore it to the Met Gala, and that it had already been damaged before she ever wore it. This scandal brought up conversations about whether celebrities should be allowed to wear historical pieces in the future, or if they are better left alone.
Kardashian is far from the first celebrity to wear a historical garment on the red carpet. She is constantly challenging norms within the fashion industry, and this statement is no different. Given that Kardashian did not actually damage the dress, I think that she brought the dress back into the spotlight to once again receive the praise it deserves, and added her own spin to it in the process. With all of this being said, there seems to be some confusion on whether celebrities will be wearing original pieces or replicas of historic pieces, although it seems like replicas will be more encouraged to avoid damaging delicate pieces and receiving bad publicity in the process. Some fans speculate that the Met’s 2024 theme choice is more of an ode to Kardashian’s impact than a dig at the scandal. I think Kardashian’s impact on the fashion industry and pop culture is greater than people give her credit for, so she certainly may have had an impact on the Met’s decision to focus on fashion archives. Either way, historic pieces will be highlighted in one way or another on the red carpet this May.
With the broadness of this theme, there is plenty of room for designers to experiment with historic silhouettes, modern takes on iconic looks and nods to sustainability and the natural world. I think many celebrities will take the route of recreating past iconic looks worn by celebrities and influential historical figures in fashion, such as Jackie Kennedy. I would like to see some celebrities go all the way back to the Elizabethan era and wear full intricate gowns and makeup, but that may be an unlikely expectation. Many experts suspect that designers will pull out their past collections for this theme, and we may see archives that have never been shown before. The natural sustainability aspect of the theme will also influence many designers to create nature-inspired looks, perhaps with aspects of modern technology involved. I hope to see some intricately beaded nature designs, showcasing elements such as the sun, ocean or leaves.
This theme has so many different aspects and routes that designers could take, so I hope this creativity is seen in the outfits of male guests, as well. There are usually a few men who attend the Met Gala in more than just a solid color suit, but I would like to see more effort this year, perhaps with beading or textures, as there seem to be endless options for innovation within this theme. The sustainability and technology aspects of the exhibit could certainly be incorporated into the suits that graze the red carpet. This theme leaves a lot of room for designers to utilize their own unique creative interpretations. There are endless options within this theme of reimagining fashion, and audiences will be eager to see what the designers come up with in May.
