The days and even weeks surrounding the Met Gala are often filled with speculation about who’ll go, who won’t, and why.
And some celebs you’d expect to have appeared multiple times, like Dolly Parton, Adele, Angelina Jolie, Mariah Carey, and many, many, more have never been.
There are, of course, loads of reasons to turn down an invite. But how do you get one in the first place?
Well, speaking on the behind-the-scenes showbiz podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, journalist Marina Hyde explained how people secure an invite.
How does it work?
The gala, which supports the Met museum’s costume department, “is a pop culture triumph,” Marina told her co-host Richard Osman.
But “back in the day, the Met Gala was one of a lot of New York charity parties,” she added ― until Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor-in-chief, got a hold of the event in the mid-90s.
“Before then, anyone, you or me, could spend $150 if we had it and go to the after-party,” Marina explained. “And the tickets for the event itself were $1,000.”
This year’s tickets were $75,000 in contrast. “But you’ve got to be approved by Anna Wintour ― this is the most dictatorial event.”
So, it’s 75 big ones and a fringed nod of approval from Vogue’s editor-in-chief ― the first part is discretionary, but how do you get the latter?
Well, celebrity helps
Marina explains that after her takeover in ’95, Anna Wintour “slowly binned off” socialites in favour of celebs.
Stars would try as hard as they could to get into the event ― “the Kardashians tried for years,” Marina says. She also suggests that Anna Wintour chooses who to include based on how much attention their entrance might garner.
And once you’re in, Marina added, you say to Anna, “thank you very much, what would you like me to wear?” She suggested the Vogue editor has a pretty strong say in what each celeb wears.
She also added that Instagram had their own table at the event in previous years, whereas this year’s event was sponsored by TikTok ― highlighting the importance of social media to the event.
So, a mixture of celebrity, money, online cache, and what sounds like a fair bit of compliance seems like a good start when it comes to getting an invite ― but if Anna Wintour’s iconic sunglasses don’t dip a little to nod you in, you’ll be staying in on the first Monday of May like the rest of us.