The Met Gala took place on May 6, also known as the first Monday in May when it is typically held every year. The Met Gala is one of the most infamous events in fashion hosted by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. 

The Gala is extremely exclusive and attendees are only allowed in via invitation from Wintour herself. While the Gala’s main goal is to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, many people on social media and fans of attendees tend to focus on the fashion, as it is an overall celebration of the art of fashion. 

This year’s exhibit theme was “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” and the dress code was “Garden of Time.” 

Some people in attendance included Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Emma Chamberlain. Some of the most controversial guests tend to be social media influencers as many of the bigger celebrities don’t consider them famous. 

Chamberlain, who started her career on YouTube, made her Met Gala debut in 2021 and has become a beloved red-carpet host for Vogue. Despite her title being an “influencer,” her attendance has been looked forward to by fans and guests due to her down-to-earth nature and on-theme participation. 

Some other influencers who attended the Gala this year were Wisdom Kaye and Reece Feldman, who both showed up tastefully on theme. 

Compared to other years, the 2024 Met had a significantly less number of influencers in attendance due to complaints of them lowering the “high-profile status” that are typically expected of the guests. 

While this did help with the usual judgements of the Met, many of the outfits were up for debate to the public as to whether or not they were avant garde in an on-theme way or just weird. 

Singer Lana Del Ray showed up in a custom Alexander McQueen that was covered in thorn designs and was completed with a branch and netting headpiece. Her look was subject to many opinions with some thinking it looked “tree-like,” however, her look was beautifully on-theme and still out-there. 

Co-chair Zendaya appeared on the carpet in two looks this year: She first came out in a gown by Maison Margiela’s John Galliano at the beginning of the evening. The gown was blue and green and was accompanied by a whimsical head piece and nature-like accessories. Her second look of the night was another gown by Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda which was black with another large floral headpiece. 

While Zendaya’s looks are typically fan-favorites, some didn’t love what she had put together this year. Many felt that her first look was too avant guard and did not hold back on different social media platforms criticizing it. 

This tends to be a common issue when it comes to the Met Gala and today’s opinionated nature of social media. Many sit behind their screens at home and tear apart the looks that appear on the red carpet despite not knowing anything about the theme, the event itself or fashion overall. The Met is all about taking risks and making fashion choices that one wouldn’t be able to wear at almost any other event. 

While a Met Gala outfit may not be everyone’s taste, it is unfair to judge them so harshly. Would the Met even be as infamous as it is if people weren’t showing in crazy cat suits or holding a model of their head? Instead of tearing celebrities and their fashion choices down, look at the message behind the look itself and appreciate it for what it is, art.