The Met Gala 2022 in the heart of Manhattan sparked a flurry of images of stars responding to this year’s dress code, Gilded Glamor, which refers to the “Golden Age,” the last American golden age. of the 19th century. . They followed each other in dresses without belts, tuxedos, ultra chic, hyper-glamorous, sleek, incredible or even with political messages, on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met).
The list of 400 stars of fashion, music, cinema, social media, politics or business – mostly American – was kept secret until the last moment: we saw Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Lenny Kravitz, Ariana DeBose. , Sarah Jessica Parker, Gigi and Bella Hadid and Stromae, who told AFP that it seemed “strange” to be there, but that he felt “honored”, that “little Belgian”.
The richest man in the world, the capricious Elon Musk, raised his arms in front of the crowd. In the process of buying Twitter, he promised on the red carpet that he would make it “the most comprehensive social network possible”. Hillary Clinton hailed the “spirit of America” radiating at the gala. Followed by actresses Glenn Close, Sigourney Weaver and Jessica Chastain.
Admission $ 35,000
The first income, youtuber Emma Chamberlain appeared in a sublime Louis Vuitton dress and the event’s high priest, all-powerful Vogue editor Anna Wintour, in a Chanel ensemble.
Even invited, the ticket cost 35 thousand dollars for a place at the gala dinner, 200 thousand to 300 thousand dollars the table paid by a client, according to unofficial figures for 2021. This is a total of more than 16 million dollars.
For the 2021 edition, shifted from May to September due to the pandemic – following a total cancellation in 2020 – the show was offered by Billie Eilish, transformed into Marilyn Monroe with platinum blonde hair. Smarter this year, she wore a cream and green Gucci set.
“The End of Weapons”
The gala is also the occasion for a political message: New York Mayor Eric Adams landed in a jacket carrying his campaign slogan on his back demanding “end to gun violence” in a crime-ridden city.
According to pure American philanthropic tradition, the evening, which takes place on the first Monday in May, aims to fund the fashion department at the Met (Costume Institute) and coincides with its major annual exhibition. It was introduced Monday morning to the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, who saw it as “a celebration of the stylists and fashion that have shaped America’s true identity.”
It paved the way this year for an American “Anthology of Fashion,” a retrospective of 19th and 20th centuries with hundreds of outfits reviewed by directors and stylists like Sofia Coppola, Martin Scorsese or Tom Ford.
The gala took place after journalists and editors from Vogue and other Condé Nast titles (GQ, Vanity Fair, Glamor, etc.) launched a movement to create a union, which they recalled on social media with a Vogue cover: “Met Gala 2022 is the longest night of the workers “.
Kardashian in Marilyn
On the red carpet, there has been less eccentricity than in previous years: in 2019, singer and actor Billy Porter emerged as a sun god, opening up golden wings and held by men with muscular torsos. And no one has compared Lady Gaga and her striptease on the scale.
However, Kim Kardashian, who appeared all in black (including her face) last September, closed this mega show with a bang: back tied hair and platinum blonde, draped in a bright beige dress , a copy of the one worn by Marilyn Monroe during her famous song “Happy Birthday Mr President”, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the death of the world icon.
Founded in 1948, the Met Gala was long reserved for New York’s very high society, but Anna Wintour, who took over in 1995, turned it into a “popular” event adapted from the age of social networking. This year the title of honorary co-president was also offered to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, alongside Anna Wintour and stylist Tom Ford.