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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RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
England v South Africa schedule
- First Test: Starts Thursday, Lord's, 2pm (UAE)
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
