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The 2024 Met Gala’s theme has just been announced.
Vogue revealed on Wednesday, November 8th, that the theme for this year’s fashion fundraiser will revolve around “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”.
The Met Gala, an annual event in New York City on the first Monday of May, is a glamorous fashion event that raises funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. As reported by Vogue, this year’s exhibit will showcase 50 significant historical pieces, some of which are too delicate to be worn again, known as the “Sleeping Beauties”.
Around 250 pieces will also be selected from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, showcasing creations by Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Givenchy to represent 400 years of fashion evolution.
“The Met’s Marina Kellen French director and CEO, Max Hollein, stated that this groundbreaking exhibition will challenge our imaginations and allow us to explore various aspects of a piece, to expand our knowledge of its background, and ultimately, to develop a greater admiration for its magnificence.”
One of the most fragile pieces of the collection includes an Elizabethan bodice and a silk satin ball gown from 1877 by the American couturier, Charles Frederick Worth. In fact, these items served as the theme’s original inspiration. Although they’re too old to fulfill their original function, the bodice and satin ball gown will be present throughout the exhibit through display technology.
The “Sleeping Beauties” collection will use Pepper’s ghost, an illusion technique, to create a ghostly figure on-stage by reflecting an object off-stage through a large angled piece of glass. The Met will also utilize video animation, light projection, soundscaping, artificial intelligence, and CGI to provide a deeper understanding of each piece in the collection.
“According to Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, fashion is a highly emotive form of art due to its close ties to the human body. It evokes memories and emotions, and our senses play a significant role in our connection to it. With this show, I aim to stimulate a sensory appreciation for fashion.”
The showcase will consist of three primary areas: land, sea, and sky. Each section will represent the natural resources utilized to make clothing. Bolton stated, “It is a tribute to nature and the sentimental beauty of fashion.” The exhibit will highlight the relationship between fashion and the natural world, emphasizing the importance of sustainability.
The 2019 Met Gala’s theme paid tribute to the iconic fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld. Titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” the event showcased 150 pieces from Lagerfeld’s tenure as creative director at Fendi, Chloe, and Chanel. While the theme aimed to celebrate his legacy, it also received criticism for overlooking Lagerfeld’s past remarks that were fatphobic, homophobic, and derogatory towards women.
The Met Gala is a yearly fundraising event for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Attending the event can be quite expensive, with tickets costing up to $50,000 per person. Although details such as 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 serve as co-chair and have ultimate authority over the guest list of celebrities.
Source: independent.co.uk
