It's arguably the most extravagant event on the fashion calendar, and next year's Met Gala theme has just been revealed.
Famously held on the first Monday in May each year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City, the Met Gala is an annual fundraiser that provides Institute with its main source of funding for exhibitions and events.
The dazzling event sees designers buy tables in the gala, with each one inviting celebrities or influencers to represent them and their designs on the notorious Met steps. Each guest is personally approved by American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, making an invite one of the most hotly coveted tickets in the fashion world.
The spring 2024 exhibit will be entitled Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion and will see approximately 250 items pulled from the Institute's permanent collection, including some that have been rarely seen in public before.
The exhibition promises to combine design from across the ages, from a 17th-century English Elizabethan-era bodice to boundary breaking 21st century designs by Alexander McQueen, with modern technology to present them in immersive ways.
Speaking to Vogue, Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO, said: "This innovative show will push the boundaries of our imagination and invite us to experience many facets of a work, to learn more about its history, and, ultimately, to gain a deeper appreciation of its beauty."
Also in the exhibition will be works by Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy and Stella McCartney, among others, while signature scents for different displays will be designed by artist Sissel Tolaas, who is known for her work with Demna at Balenciaga.
At the core of the exhibition will be roughly 50 historically significant and aesthetically beautiful pieces from the collection that are far too fragile ever to be worn again. These will represent the 'Sleeping Beauties' of the title.
These works will be displayed using video animation, light projection, soundscaping, AI, CGI and even forms of illusion to bring them back to life.
The true thrill, of course, will be seeing how the celebrity guests interpret the theme: will they dip into the archives for some vintage gems, collaborate on a custom design that nods to the past or simply sidestep the theme entirely for whatever is trending at the time?
A particularly exciting note for Irish fashion fans is that the gala will be supported by Loewe, the Spanish label currently led by Northern Irish creative director, Jonathan Anderson. So we can expect a lot of Irish talent climbing the Met steps.
All we know is, we'll be waiting with bated breath for the fashion extravaganza on May 6.
