Entertainment

Biggest names in fashion and celebrity set for Met Gala return

Last year’s event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Last year’s event was cancelled due to the pandemic. Last year’s event was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The biggest names in fashion and celebrity will descend on New York for the return of the Met Gala.

The annual extravaganza was scrapped last year due to the pandemic but is making a comeback in an unfamiliar September slot.

Famously, the Met Gala usually takes place on the first Monday in May.

The MET Gala 2019 – New York
The MET Gala 2019 – New York The Met Gala tends to tease out eye-catching outfits – including this bright idea from Katy Perry in 2019 (Jennifer Graylock/PA)

The event, which raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, has been split into two this time around.

Part one, set to be a more reserved affair than usual, takes place on Monday while the second instalment – intended as a larger event – is scheduled for May 2 2022.

The exhibition is called In America: A Lexicon of Fashion and will explore US fashion.

While there are many pandemic-era changes, including masks and a reduced guest list, some aspects have stayed the same.

The MET Gala 2019 – New York
The MET Gala 2019 – New York Lady Gaga turned heads with her show-stopping entrance at the 2019 Met Gala (Jennifer Graylock/PA)

The Met Gala has attracted its usual mix of A-list hosts in the form of Hollywood actor Timothee Chalamet, 25, pop sensation Billie Eilish, 19, poet Amanda Gorman, 23, and 23-year-old tennis star Naomi Osaka.

Honorary chairs for the evening are fashion designer Tom Ford, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Vogue’s Anna Wintour.

Filmmaker Melina Matsoukas, known for the drama film Queen & Slim, has been commissioned to create an open-ended film to project in the galleries, with content changing during the course of the exhibition.

While the guest list has not been released, the dress code is “American Independence”, suggesting a red carpet filled with stars and stripes.

The theme in 2018 was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, with Rihanna coming dressed as the Pope, while 2019 was Camp: Notes on Fashion, which featured a show-stopping entrance from Lady Gaga.