Since the global pandemic has put a halt to all public gatherings, the annual Met Ball Gala has been postponed indefinitely. Known for its extravagant and over-the-top looks, the Met Ball is a charity gala that happens every May to raise funds for the fashion arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine, Anna Wintour, has served as a co-chair for the event every year since 1995. Traditionally, several additional honorary co-chairs are chosen for the Gala every year as well. The theme for this year was titled ‘About Time: Fashion and Duration.’
This year’s fashion panel was set to include many newcomers such as Emma Stone and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Legendary actress Meryl Streep has also been invited to co-chair this year’s event. Streep’s iconic role of Amanda Priestly in the 2006 comedy The Devil Wears Prada was said to have been based on Wintour. This year would be the actresses’ first-ever Met Ball.
Meghan Markle was also rumored to attend the event. Over the past year, the Duchess of Sussex and her family have been making the transition of leaving royal life which would allow Markle to now attend public events. Wintour has spoken fondly of the Duchess of Sussex and has even cited her as a fashion inspiration.
The Met Gala event has amassed a huge cult-like following. While the extravagant evening has been canceled there are rumors that the museum’s exhibitions will be shared online on the museum’s website for everyone to experience. The fashion community has also been speculating that some of the invited guests and celebrities might still take part in the fashion tradition by posing in their Met Gala attire and posting it to their social media platforms. The fashion industry has already seen this gap bridged this month with models being sent clothing collections to model at home while under quarantine. These photos will make appearances in upcoming magazine editions so there is a hopeful chance that we might see something like this with attendees. The online fashion community has also created its own challenge. Fashion fans are urging everyone to create their own Met Gala looks and share them online on the intended date of the gala allowing everyone to participate in an event that has been historically selective.