It’s Met Gala season! Which means my allergies are driving me insane. (I’m not allergic to fashion, just pollen.) But anyways, I hope you’re getting ready for this year’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” I’m anticipating a lot of floral vibes and also my jaw dropping after seeing the first photo of Zendaya posing on the steps. The style icon, who’s been slaying a million tennis looks for Challengers recently, is a Met Gala co-chair this year alongside Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, and Anna Wintour. Jennifer is actually funding the event herself and might even make a documentary about it. JK.
Of course, the main point of the Met Gala is to give back! Every year, the event raises funds for the museum’s Costume Institute because the Hollywood elite are just too kind and caring. All us peasants really know is that they’re raising money and posing in wild outfits on the Met steps… but what about when they go inside? What happens then? It’s all very elusive, so let me shed some light on the fashion event of the year: Here’s everything I know about what the fuck goes down inside the Met Gala.
As soon as guests enter, their phones have to be turned off. Can you imagine? You actually have to talk to people the whole time, I guess. According to Vogue, “It’s a secret. For this reason, guests must abide by the no phone (and therefore, no social media) policy.” So devastatingly, no TikTok girlies give us behind-the-scenes looks.
Order of business No. 1 is a meet-and-greet with the hosts, per New York Times journalist Vanessa Friedman. This year, everybody gets to say hello to Zendaya, Jennifer, Chris, Bad Bunny, and Anna. Not intimidating at all! Then, the celebs mix and mingle during a cocktail hour that includes a tour of the exhibition. “There are escorts guiding them along, but they’re allowed to take their time,” former Met Gala dinner server Mike Hartman told Insider.
After all their hard work posing on the steps and getting a first look at the amazing exhibit, the guests sit down for a gorgeous dinner. Onions, garlic, and parsley are not allowed though ’cause we wouldn’t want the A-listers to have bad breath. Apparently, Bruschetta is also prohibited due to spilling potential.
The famous folk don’t get to choose where they sit, which is iconic; I do not envy the person who has to make that seating chart. There’s also generally a “high-profile performer,” according to Vogue. The event wraps up fairly early — the dinner is limited to an hour — so that everybody can get ready for the after-parties.
The real parties start after the Met Gala is over, and all your faves head to NYC venues like The Standard Hotel, The Mark Hotel, or The Box. Some of us try to go stalk them and fail, but only some of us!
