Has the Met Gala Lost its Prestige?

The Met Gala has been the talk of the town every first Monday of May since Diana Vreeland revamped its status as a charity dinner in 1970. And, even more so after Anna Wintour’s development of the Gala as a yearly spectacle.

Each Met Gala is hosted by theme and in 2022, the Met Gala theme was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion”. Marvel actor Sebastian Stan was styled by Valentino in a neon pink suit, whilst there I concur that he deserves praise for wearing bold colours and straying from the boring conventional suits that many male celebrities opt for, it’s difficult to draw a link to the theme.

Maybe Stan’s styling drew links to the neon craze in the 1980s with aerobic wear and then the resurgence of neon colours in 2000s with rave culture; though, the overall silhouette of his outfit caused me struggle to see how it links both of these moments in American fashion history. BBC even stated that “He rightly disregarded the dress code by wearing neon pink from head to toe.”

If news outlets are making these conclusions, does that not put into question the prestige of the Met Gala? What’s the purpose of following the theme then?

In the same year, Kim Kardashian borrowed Marilyn Monroe’s iconic 1962 Jean Louis for her look, and whilst on theme, the internet rightfully criticised her for wearing the gown. It was custom tailored to fit Monroe’s body perfectly.

The Kardashian reportedly lost weight just to wear this gown, and whilst it is obvious how this gown fits perfectly into the 2022 theme, ruining a historical garment kept in Ripley’s museum makes me question if any event is prestigious enough to cause rips, detach sequins, to a timeless piece?

Alicia Keys was able to stay on theme with a beautiful cape from Ralph Lauren featuring the New York skyline (an undeniable reference to her 2009 hit with Jay-Z ‘Empire State of Mind’), so why did Kardashian feel the need to force herself into Monroe’s gown? You simply cannot outdo the do-er.

In this sense, the need to be so extravagant takes away from the prestige of the Met Gala as Kardashian actively chooses to damage a historical artefact; surely the Met Gala should be celebrating new pieces from fashion houses that can pay homage to the anthology of American fashion, instead of ruining old pieces.

To keep it more recent, even in 2026 (theme: Fashion Art), there are a range of attendees who have honoured the theme and those who have clearly paid it no heed. Despite it, the media continued to criticise the introduction of influencers at the Met Gala for lowering its prestigious nature.

Emma Chamberlain’s 2026 look undoubtedly followed the theme, with a Mugler gown that featured patterns inspired by the works of van Gogh and Munch. Paired with her blurred black eyeshadow, her look encapsulated the theme perfectly and stopped any disparaging comments about influencers at the Met Gala.

In the same vein, Sabrina Carpenter’s Dior dress was custom made with film strips from the 1954 Audrey Hepburn film Sabrina. Iconically referencing her own name and also sticking to the theme puts in no question the prestigious nature of the Met Gala when faced with styling that is authentic yet clearly references the theme.

Moving away from the fashion of the event, the funding of the event itself makes the Met Gala seem more like an oligarch pleasing ceremony rather than an actual celebration of fashion. That is what made the Gala appeal to fashion enthusiasts in the first place.

In 2026, the Bezos’ funded $10 million into the Gala, to the outrage of most Met Gala followers; in what universe would a left-leaning, artsy, city-dwelling majority audience be complacent in more involvement from unethical billionaires.

Lauren Sanchez showed up on theme, with a Schiaparelli gown inspired by Singer Sargent’s “Portrait of Madame X.” Though, her makeup look was more reminiscent of modern-day glam, clashing with the typical elegance associated with Singer Sargent’s piece. Online commentators called her styling “tacky”.

Sanchez’ husband, Amazon Mogul Jeff Bezos, disappointed us with another boring suit that nobody cared for. I would argue that the more that Anna Wintour accepts involvement from the top 1%, who don’t actually care for the fashion, the more that the prestige of the Met Gala is lowered.

You cannot separate fashion from politics, it is as simple as that. Especially when the issue of fast fashion is becoming increasingly prevalent; the sponsor for the 2026 Met Gala seemed insensitive and tone-deaf.

People obviously still care for the Met Gala. Though, the celebrities who stray from the themes and Anna Wintour’s questionable sponsors definitely make people question if the Met Gala still holds its prestige. The event is still a highly important mark in the year, but perhaps it has turned into a contest to become the most niche instead of honouring the creativity of fashion nor using a theme which is central to the concept of the Met Gala in styling looks.

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