The biggest night in fashion returns to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Monday, and the theme for this year's Met Gala is Gilded Glamour.
As with past themes, the dress code mirrors the exhibition at the museum's The Costume Institute, for which the Met Gala acts as a fundraiser. Previous themes have included Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination (2018); China: Through the Looking Glass (2015) and Camp: Notes on Fashion (2019). And while each theme has triggered a plethora of beautiful looks, there is more to all of it than only pretty clothes.
Scroll through the gallery above to see some of the best Met Gala looks of all time.
Historic Met Gala themes
Since being founded in 1973, the Costume Institute Benefit, as it was officially called, is a yearly gala dinner and ball to both raise funds for the museum — tickets cost more than $30,000 a head and tables are upwards of $200,000 — and a generator of publicity for the accompanying exhibition.
The first Met Gala was held to celebrate a retrospective of the work of Spanish couturier Cristobal Balenciaga, while in 1983 the museum staged a major retrospective of Yves Saint Laurent. In 1987, it honoured the career of the fashion editor and doyenne Diana Vreeland. In 1990, it stepped in to bolster the then-struggling couture industry with a show called Theatre de la Mode — Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture, a theme it returned to again in 1995.
When Italian designer Gianni Versace was murdered in 1997, the museum responded with a show dedicated to his work. Put together in five months, it was a major achievement, as such shows are normally years in the planning.
After two stints hosting the gala, US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour was named as its chairwoman in 1999, bringing with her close industry relationships. Major names such as Gucci, L'Oreal, LVMH, Chanel and Burberry were brought on board as sponsors, alongside the likes of Yahoo, Apple and Instagram.
However, it was perhaps the 2011 show, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, that really pushed the Met Gala into the public realm. Phenomenally successful, the retrospective of the British designer, who took his own life a year earlier, catapulted the gala and the museum into the mainstream, with more than 660,000 visitors, making it the most successful show since The Costume Institute joined the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1946, drawing numbers only matched by the exhibitions featuring the Mona Lisa and the treasures of Tutankhamun.
With the presence of the ever-savvy Wintour, now global chief content officer for Conde Nast, the two exhibitions that have taken place since the pandemic, dictating the theme of the gala, have been redirected back to the achievements of the American fashion industry, with 2021’s In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, and 2022’s In America: An Anthology of Fashion.
2022's Met Gala theme
The 2022 dress code feeds perfectly into this. Glided Glamour evokes visions of New York’s golden age between 1870 and 1890, when it was flush with new-found fortunes. Dubbed the Gilded Age by Mark Twain in 1873, it witnessed the rise of families such as the Astors, the Vanderbilts and the Cooper Hewitts, while the New York Post building became the first ever to be lit with Thomas Edison’s newly invented light bulb.
The city had the verve — and the money — to embrace Alexander Graham Bell’s 1876 invention, the telephone, helping bring women into the workplace for the first time to act as telephone operators, while skyscrapers raced upwards, trying to best the city's first, the Wilder Building. Built by banker and property tycoon Samuel Wilder in 1888, it stretched a giddy 11 stories into the sky.
New mechanised textile factories meant material was cheaper and more available, and New York socialites lost no time in draping themselves in silks, satins and velvets, topped with ruffles, feathers and fringing, all worn with bustles of ridiculous proportions to show off wealth and style. There was a surge in demand for gemstones, as others copied the formidable Caroline Astor, known simply as “The Mrs Astor”, who liked to deck herself in diamonds and emeralds, including a diamond-studded stomacher rumoured to have once belonged to the French queen Marie Antoinette. Not surprisingly, jewellery houses such as Tiffany’s benefitted hugely during this period.
In response to this explosion of fashion across the city, New York's Gilded Age gave rise to publications to help ladies navigate this new world, with the magazine Harper’s Bazaar being launched in 1867, followed by Vogue in 1893.
Fast-forward to 2022 and, like cities everywhere, New York faces many challenges as it tries to pick itself up after the pandemic, hoping to lure back tourists and re-energise its status on the world stage. The Met Gala's nod to the Big Apple’s golden era is, therefore, no coincidence, helping the city to reclaim its rightful position as the home of fashion on the first Monday in May, one dazzling sequin at a time.
This article was originally published on April 13, 2022.
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Results
Stage 4
1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma 04:16:13
2. Gaviria (COL) UAE Team Emirates
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
General Classification:
1. Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 16:46:15
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:35
4. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5. Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Non-oil%20trade
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
