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The 2024 Met Gala’s theme has been unveiled.
Vogue revealed on Wednesday, November 8th, that the theme for this year’s fashion fundraiser will be “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute is supported by a star-studded fashion event called the Met Gala, which takes place on the first Monday of May in New York City each year. According to Vogue, the event will showcase 50 historically important pieces, including some delicate items that will never be worn again, known as the “Sleeping Beauties”.
Approximately 250 pieces will be selected from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, showcasing creations by Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Givenchy, representing 400 years of fashion evolution.
The Met’s director and CEO, Max Hollein, stated that this groundbreaking production will challenge our creativity and encourage us to explore different aspects of a piece, to discover its background, and ultimately, to develop a greater admiration for its aesthetic.
The collection features delicate pieces, such as an Elizabethan bodice and a silk satin ball gown from 1877 designed by American couturier, Charles Frederick Worth. These items were the initial inspiration for the exhibit. While they can no longer serve their original purpose, they will still be showcased using modern display methods.
The “Sleeping Beauties” collection will utilize Pepper’s ghost, an illusion method, by positioning a sizeable glass at a specific angle to reflect an object from the back of the stage, creating the illusion of a ghostly figure on stage. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will also incorporate video animation, light projections, soundscaping, artificial intelligence, and CGI to provide a deeper understanding and context for each piece.
According to Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, fashion is an artistic form that evokes strong emotions due to its relationship with the human body. It holds memories and emotions, and we connect with it through our senses. One of the goals of this show is to stimulate a sensory appreciation for fashion.
The display will be structured into three primary areas: land, sea, and sky. Each zone will represent the natural elements utilized to make clothing. According to Bolton, it is a tribute to nature and the expressive art of fashion. By highlighting the use of nature in fashion over time, the exhibition will continue to prioritize sustainability.
The theme for last year’s Met Gala was in honour of the late legendary designer, Karl Lagerfeld. “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” aimed to examine Lagerfeld’s legacy by bringing together 150 creations from his time as creative director of Fendi, Chloe, and Chanel. However, the theme sparked considerable backlash due to Lagerfeld’s controversial history of making fatphobic, homophobic, and derogatory comments towards women.
The Met Gala is an annual fundraiser organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Attendance to the event can reach up to $50,000 per person. Although the dress code and co-chairs for the 2024 Met Gala have not been revealed yet, it is confirmed that Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, will be the co-chair and have ultimate authority over the list of celebrity guests.
Source: independent.co.uk
