Every year on the first Monday in May, the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York turn into the most watched runway on earth. Yet the party that now trends worldwide began as a modest supper for the city’s fashion crowd. Understanding Met Gala history means following one small fundraiser as it grew into a cultural event that shapes red carpets, designer careers and museum exhibitions alike.
In this guide we trace Met Gala history from its first dinner in 1948 to the elaborate themed evenings of today. You will find the key figures who reshaped the night, the exhibitions behind the most famous themes, and the looks that people still talk about years later. Every fact here comes from well documented public sources, including the museum itself.
Met Gala History at a Glance
- 1948: Publicist Eleanor Lambert organises the first benefit for the Costume Institute, a midnight supper.
- 1972–1973: Former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland joins the Costume Institute and turns the benefit into a themed, star-studded event.
- 1983: The Met honours Yves Saint Laurent with its first exhibition devoted to a living designer.
- 1995 onward: Vogue editor Anna Wintour begins chairing the gala and transforms it into a global media moment.
- 2014: The Costume Institute’s home is renamed the Anna Wintour Costume Center.
- 2018: “Heavenly Bodies” becomes the most visited exhibition in the museum’s history.
How Met Gala History Began
The Costume Institute started life as the Museum of Costume Art in 1937 and joined the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1946. It needed money to buy garments, conserve fragile textiles and pay curators, so in 1948 the fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert organised a benefit dinner to raise funds. Lambert is also remembered for creating the International Best-Dressed List and for organising early New York fashion presentations, so she understood how to bring designers and society figures into one room.
That first event was far from the spectacle we know today. It was a midnight supper, and for its early decades the benefit moved between venues in Manhattan rather than taking place on the museum steps. Guests were mainly New York society and members of the fashion industry. In these early chapters of Met Gala history there was no single theme and no global press pack, only a practical goal: keep the Costume Institute funded.
The Diana Vreeland Era: When Themes Arrived
The real turning point in Met Gala history came when Diana Vreeland, the former editor in chief of Vogue, became a special consultant to the Costume Institute in the early 1970s. Vreeland believed a museum show about clothes could be as theatrical as a magazine shoot. Her first exhibition, “The World of Balenciaga” in 1973, set the template: a dramatic show inside the museum and a glamorous party built around it.
Under Vreeland, exhibitions explored subjects such as Hollywood costume, the eighteenth century woman and the costumes of the Russian imperial court. The benefit began to attract film stars, artists and designers, and it moved firmly into the museum. In 1983 the Met staged “Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of Design”, the first time the museum dedicated an exhibition to a living designer. That decision showed that fashion could be treated with the same seriousness as painting or sculpture.
Anna Wintour and the Modern Met Gala
Anna Wintour, editor of American Vogue since 1988, first chaired the event in 1995 and has led it for most years since. Under her direction the gala became tightly curated. Vogue manages the guest list, each table is sponsored, and the co chairs usually include a mix of film, music, sport and fashion names. The dinner is held on the first Monday in May, the evening before the spring exhibition opens to the public.
Wintour also turned the red carpet into the main event for viewers who will never set foot inside. Live streams, social media and same night coverage mean a single dress can become a global talking point within minutes. In 2014 the museum recognised her role by renaming the Costume Institute’s space the Anna Wintour Costume Center. The money raised is significant too, as the gala remains the Costume Institute’s main source of funding for exhibitions, acquisitions and conservation.
Iconic Met Gala Themes That Shaped Fashion
Each year’s dress code follows the spring exhibition, which is why Met Gala history is also a history of fashion curation. These themes stand out for their influence, their attendance or the looks they inspired.
1. “The World of Balenciaga” (1973)
Vreeland’s debut show celebrated Cristóbal Balenciaga, the Spanish couturier known for sculptural shapes. It proved that a fashion exhibition could draw crowds and press, and it set up the idea of pairing a show with a themed party.
2. “Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of Design” (1983)
The first Met exhibition devoted to a living designer remains a landmark in Met Gala history. It gave fashion a place in the museum canon and opened the door for later retrospectives.
3. “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” (2011)
Staged the year after McQueen’s death, this exhibition drew more than 650,000 visitors and became one of the most visited shows the museum had held at that point. It remains a defining chapter of Met Gala history, and guests honoured his dramatic, romantic vision with dark tailoring, lace and feathers.
4. “China: Through the Looking Glass” (2015)
This exhibition explored how Chinese art and aesthetics influenced Western fashion. The evening produced one of the most famous moments in Met Gala history: Rihanna’s canary yellow, fur trimmed cape gown by Chinese couturier Guo Pei, whose enormous train filled the staircase.
5. “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between” (2017)
A rare moment in Met Gala history, this was only the second Costume Institute show devoted to a living designer, this exhibition honoured the avant garde founder of Comme des Garçons. Many guests interpreted the theme with conceptual, sculptural silhouettes.
6. “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” (2018)
Displayed across the Met’s Fifth Avenue building and The Met Cloisters, this exhibition attracted more than 1.6 million visitors, making it the most visited exhibition in the museum’s history. The red carpet was full of gold embroidery, halos and papal inspired headpieces.
7. “Camp: Notes on Fashion” (2019)
Inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on Camp”, this theme invited humour, exaggeration and theatre. Lady Gaga arrived in a Brandon Maxwell look that she revealed in several layers on the carpet, while Billy Porter was carried in on a litter as an Egyptian inspired sun god.
8. “In America” (2021 and 2022)
The museum presented a two part exhibition about American fashion. Part one, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”, opened with a gala held in September 2021, an unusual date after the pandemic cancelled the 2020 event. Part two, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion”, followed in May 2022 with a “gilded glamour” dress code.
9. “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” (2023)
This show, another highlight of recent Met Gala history, traced the career of the designer who led Chanel, Fendi and his own label. Guests wore camellias, pearls, tweed and crisp white collars, all codes linked to Lagerfeld’s work.
10. “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” (2024) and “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” (2025)
The 2024 exhibition focused on fragile historic garments, with the dress code “The Garden of Time” inspired by a J. G. Ballard short story. In 2025 the museum explored the history of Black dandyism, and the dress code “Tailored for You” put sharp suiting at the centre of the evening.
The Most Iconic Moments in Met Gala History
Beyond the themes, certain arrivals have become part of fashion folklore. These are some of the most documented moments in Met Gala history.
- Cher in Bob Mackie (1974): Her sheer, feather trimmed gown remains one of the most referenced looks from the early years.
- Diana, Princess of Wales, in Dior (1996): She wore a navy slip dress by John Galliano for Dior, the year the Met celebrated Christian Dior.
- Rihanna in Guo Pei (2015): The yellow cape gown became an instant symbol of the modern gala.
- Zendaya as Cinderella (2019): Her Tommy Hilfiger gown lit up on the carpet in a playful nod to the camp theme.
- Blake Lively in Versace (2022): Her gown unfolded on the steps to reveal a verdigris train inspired by the Statue of Liberty.
What links these moments of Met Gala history is storytelling. The most memorable looks connect to the exhibition, surprise the audience and work in a photograph taken from the bottom of the stairs.
Books for Fashion Lovers
If you want to go deeper into Met Gala history, these illustrated books are a lovely place to start. Check the current price and edition on Amazon.
Vogue and the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute: Parties, Exhibitions, People
- Hamish Bowles with Vogue
- Decades of gala photography
- Exhibitions and the people behind them
Fashion's Big Night Out: A Met Gala Lookbook
- Illustrated lookbook by Kristen Bateman
- Iconic red carpet looks by year
- Great coffee table gift
How We Researched This Guide
This article is based on information published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exhibition records and long standing reference sources such as the Met Gala entry on Wikipedia, which cites contemporary press coverage. We include only public, well documented events and avoid rumours about guests’ private lives. You can read more about our standards in our editorial policy.
Why Met Gala History Still Matters
It funds serious scholarship
The party is glamorous, but its purpose is practical. Proceeds support the Costume Institute, which cares for a collection of tens of thousands of garments and accessories spanning several centuries. Without the gala, many exhibitions and conservation projects would not happen.
It influences what we wear
Themes such as camp, Catholic imagery or Black tailoring push designers to experiment, and those ideas often filter into runway collections and high street trends. If you follow the fashion week calendar, you will notice how ideas move between the museum, the catwalk and the red carpet.
It shows how fashion tells stories
Every exhibition in Met Gala history asks a question about culture, identity or craft. Reading Met Gala history alongside the exhibition catalogues is one of the best ways to see clothing as a record of its time.
Tips for Following the Next Chapter of Met Gala History
- Learn the exhibition first: The dress code makes far more sense once you know the show it is based on.
- Watch the official coverage: Vogue usually streams the arrivals live, with commentary on designers and references.
- Visit the exhibition: The spring show normally opens to the public the following week and runs for several months.
- Look for the details: Embroidery, archival references and craft are often more interesting than the headline silhouette.
For more red carpet inspiration, explore our guide to Old Hollywood glamour style, which traces many of the references guests still borrow today.
FAQ
When did the Met Gala start?
The first benefit took place in 1948. Met Gala history begins with publicist Eleanor Lambert, who organised a supper to raise money for the Costume Institute.
Who decides the Met Gala theme?
The theme follows the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, which is developed by its curators. The gala’s dress code is then announced to guide guests.
Why is the Met Gala held on the first Monday in May?
The gala marks the opening of the spring exhibition, so it takes place on the evening before the show opens to the public. The 2021 edition was a rare exception and was held in September.
Which Met Gala exhibition was the most visited?
“Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” in 2018 drew more than 1.6 million visitors, the highest attendance in the museum’s history.
Final Thoughts on Met Gala History
From a midnight supper in 1948 to a global broadcast, Met Gala history is the story of how fashion earned its place in the museum. The themes reveal how curators see clothing as art, and the most famous looks show how designers translate big ideas into a single unforgettable entrance. Next May, when the first photos arrive, you will know exactly where the tradition comes from.
Want more fashion culture? Read our feature on celebrity beauty brands or browse the latest stories in our Culture section.
