People | Notably regarded as the sartorial scene's equivalent to the Academy Awards, the Met Gala is a highly anticipated event for fashion fans — whether they're the celebrities and designers gracing the famed staircase or onlookers excitedly watching from their couches at home as they arrive.
The exclusive affair is a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, formally titled, The Anna Wintour Costume Center — named after Vogue's editor-in-chief, who has been a chair member of the gala since 1995.
While the remarkable outfits donned by the well-clad stars have become the main attraction for the eager eyes of style seekers watching around the world, the dress code is dependent upon a theme that differs each year — of which Wintour, of course, gets the final say.
Over the years, topics have often teetered between "thematic shows and monographic ones of a single designer," the Costume Institute's fashion mastermind Andrew Bolton told Vogue. "We always try to have a menu of shows that are dynamic, that go back and forth on subjects from the past and the present."
And this year's no different, narrowing in on the latter and spotlighting fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld — though similar to themes in the past, this year's decision has generated mixed reviews from stars and fans alike due to the late designer's controversial history.
Jameela Jamil was among several stars who spoke out against the selected theme following Vogue's announcement in September 2022. "This man... was indeed, supremely talented, but used his platform in such a distinctly hateful way, mostly towards women," the actress wrote in part on Instagram.
Here's everything to know about the 2023 Met Gala, including when it's taking place and what the theme entails.
Officially titled "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," the 2023 Met Gala theme honors the famed German fashion designer who died in February 2019 at the age of 85. Organizers of the annual Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit announced the news in September 2022.
According to a release from the Met, the exhibit will showcase approximately 150 of Lagerfeld's greatest outfits across his prolific six-decade career, including designs he made while working for brands like Balmain, Patou, Chloé, Fendi, Chanel and his own eponymous label.
Museum curator Bolton was entrusted with the task of outputting the creative mind of Lagerfeld into exhibition form. Bolton devised a thoughtfully crafted "key" to aid in the ciphering of the creative's "outrageously enormous span and output" — that being, Lagerfeld's sketches.
"So at its heart, the exhibition will look at the evolution of Karl's two-dimensional drawings into three-dimensional garments," Bolton told Vogue. He wasn't fascinated to learn that his drawings were "extremely precise, almost mathematical" as opposed to — what he thought was — "very spontaneous and almost impressionistic."
He continued, "We couldn't see it because we are not trained, but his premiers knew down to the millimeter what each line meant. It was almost a secret code, a language shared between him and those premiers, that only they could fully decipher."
Now, in typical Met Gala fashion, it's up to the designers to interpret the theme and translate it into creations that will be worn by their selected muses when they hit the famed stairs at the museum in May.
In addition to the theme, the esteemed attendees must abide by a specific dress code: "In honor of Karl." While there are several ways to interpret the theme, the dress code narrows the task for curators to effectively salute the icon.
Upon announcing the code, Vogue put forth several suggestions to do it justice. Its first and "most authentic" approach? Don an archival look from one of the labels Lagerfeld led (Balmain, Patou, Chloé, Fendi or Chanel, for example.)
Vogue's second suggestion? Wear modern-day Chanel or Fendi, two luxury houses on which Lagerfeld left an impressionable mark. Its third option (and purrrhaps the one most up for interpretation?) is "to find a Choupette [the designer's famed feline muse] all your own and dress à la Lagerfeld."
Annually, a select few get chosen to join Wintour as co-chairs of the Met Gala. This year, Vogue announced the four global cultural icons who will grab a chair at her coveted round table to help set the scene include: Grammy-winning performer Dua Lipa, Emmy-winning actress Michaela Coel, Oscar winner Penélope Cruz and tennis superstar Roger Federer.
The 2023 co-chairs mark prominent figures in music, sports, movies, and television with each of them coming off a monumental year in their lives.
Per tradition, the Met Gala always takes place on the first Monday in May. This year, the extravagant event is scheduled for May 1, 2023.
The exhibition opens to the public on May 5, 2023. It will remain on display through July 16, 2023.
Though many in the fashion set have shown excitement that this year's Met Gala and Costume Exhibit will pay tribute to Lagerfeld, others have cited the designer's problematic moments and some of the controversial quotes he was known for as a reason to skip the event.
Before his death, Lagerfeld called out the #MeToo movement, telling Número magazine that he was "fed up" with it all.
"What shocks me most in all of this are the starlets who have taken 20 years to remember what happened. Not to mention the fact there are no prosecution witnesses," Lagerfeld said. "All their accusations of harassment, they have become quite toxic."
Actress and activist Jameela Jamil also directly called out the Met Gala for its "hateful" theme last year when it was announced, citing Lagerfeld's comments toward "fat women" and "marginalized people."
"This man... was indeed, supremely talented, but used his platform in such a distinctly hateful way, mostly towards women, so repeatedly and up until the last years of his life, showing no remorse, offering no atonement, no apology, no help to groups he attacked... there was no explanation for his cruel outbursts," she wrote on Instagram at the time.
Lagerfeld made comments on more than one occasion that targeted women's weights, including in 2009 when he told the German magazine Focus, "no one wants to see curvy women."
On May 1, fans can tune in on Vogue's website and on Vogue's YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. The "hautest holiday of the year" will also be live on E! starting at 6 p.m. ET.
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