The Met Gala is finally back to its former glory.
After being cancelled due to the pandemic, it happened on a much smaller scale in September 2021. It’s now officially returning to its normal schedule, which is to say the first Monday of May, falling on Monday 2nd May 2022. Fashion’s biggest event of the year will tie in with the Metropolitan Museum Art exhibition for the Costume Institute: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. This means celebrities will have to choose outfits based on that theme, which is open to interpretation. You’ll of course remember Kim Kardashian’s all-over black Balenciaga t-shirt outfit (what’s more American than a t-shirt?), and Rihanna’s Pope-inspired gown to tie in with the religious theme of the 2018 exhibition.
To put it simply, there is no strict dress code, outfits just need to be vaguely related to American fashion or culture. If you’re being literal, this means wearing an American designer like Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors or Carolina Herrera. However, you can also pay homage to trends from the past decades, most of which started in the US. This could be 20s-inspired flapper dresses, 80s-style oversized suits and Dynasty-esque power shoulders, or slinky dresses made famous by Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford et al in the 90s. Either way, we won’t have long to wait to see what rumoured guests Kim Kardashian, Blake Lively, Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga will wear on the red carpet.
Should you wish to dress up too, here are a few gowns you can shop to fit in within the American theme…