The History of the Met Gala: Real-Life Hunger Games Fashion

Hey there, history lovers! In our very first episode, we are diving into the history of the Met Gala. We explore why it began, how it became known as “fashion’s biggest night out,” and if it is still the impactful, cultural phenomenon it once was.

NOTES & CORRECTIONS:

The first Met Gala was held in 1948, rather than 1947 as mentioned in the episode.

When discussing monetary value in the episode, we are referring to the approximate modern day equivalent. Just a little inflation maths that we forgot to flag in the recording!

BIBLIOGRAPHY & FURTHER READING:

The Entire History of the Met Gala, Understitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmy4Hgkkvls&t=187s

A history of the met gala in under 60 sec, Vogue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W96_Dd9bI5Y

A complete history of the met gala: everytheme unveiled https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqx31AM-b1o

The history behind the Met Gala, Olivia B Waxman, 2024 https://time.com/6972918/met-gala-history/

The Costume Institue https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/the-costume-institute

The Lives of the Party: A whirlwind history of the met gala, Lilah Ramzi, May 1 2024 - https://www.vogue.com/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-met-gala-video

By saying nothing as the world burns, the Met Gala shows we’re still living in a gilded age, Amelia Abraham May 2022 https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/may/03/met-gala-saying-nothing-world-burns-fashion-gilded-age

Met Gala Organizers face criticism for “GildedGlamour” theme amid inflation, Maya Yang 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/may/02/met-gala-theme-gilded-glamor-criticism-inflation

Fashion previews, protests, parties, The scene Surrounding the Met Gala, Lauren Bilbin Annaliese Nurnber and Jada Yuan, May 7 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/interactive/2024/05/07/photos-met-gala-scene/

What does the Met Gala theme make the internet crazy, Jose Criales-Unzueta, May 2 2024, https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/fashion/why-does-the-met-gala-theme-make-the-internet-crazy

Fashion History Mystery #13, Party of the Year: The Met Gala by Dressed, The History of Fashion podcast. 9 May 2019.

If you would love to know more about the history of this year’s exhibition theme Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, we highly recommend you check out Monica L. Miller’s lecture for the National Arts Club, whose work has inspired this year’s exhibition. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tsFpvDN_Xs&t=2268s

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Thank you so much for listening! We’ll see you on the next one on May 19th! xoxo