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<\/picture><\/div>Beyonce appears at a campaign event in Houston, on Oct. 25, 2024, left, Nicole Kidman appears at the 30th Critics Choice Awards Santa Monica, Calif., on Feb. 7, 2025, center, and Venus Williams appears at the 10th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in Los Angeles on April 13, 2024.<\/p>\n
<\/span>AP<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n FILE – Vogue editor Anna Wintour attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala on May 6, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n <\/span>Charles Sykes\/Charles Sykes\/Invision\/AP<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n FILE – Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos, left, and Jeff Bezos appear at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026. (Photo by Evan Agostini\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n <\/span>Evan Agostini\/Evan Agostini\/Invision\/AP<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n A Di Petsa dress by designer Dimitra Petsa appears on a pregnant mannequin, from left, an ensemble by Michaela Stark on a mannequin in Stark’s image, a Burberry ensemble by Christopher Bailey on a mannequin image of Sin\u00e9ad Burke, foreground, an ensemble by designer Karoline Vitto, on a mannequin model of Charlie Reynolds, and an outfit by designer Maria Grazia Chiuri for the House of Dior on a mannequin model of Yseult, are displayed in a room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art during preparations for the Met Gala exhibit “Costume Art” on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes\/Invision\/AP)<\/p>\n <\/span>Charles Sykes\/Charles Sykes\/Invision\/AP<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n FILE – Zendaya Coleman attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala in New York on May 6, 2024. (Photo by Evan Agostini\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n <\/span>Evan Agostini\/Evan Agostini\/Invision\/AP<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Fashionistas knew this already: \u201cFashion is Art.\u201d But how will Met Gala guests interpret that dress code at this year\u2019s extravaganza?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Last year\u2019s theme, \u201cTailored For You,\u201d led to a lot of great suits; this year\u2019s promises to produce some truly flamboyant attire as guests mount the famous carpeted steps on May 4. As always, the dress code is inspired by the spring exhibit at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. \u201cCostume Art\u201d will pair some 200 art objects with 200 garments to highlight the connection between fashion and art through the centuries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Here are some key things to know as fashion\u2019s biggest night approaches:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As always, the first Monday in May.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s a fundraiser for the Costume Institute, the only self-funding department at the Met \u2014 and it’s a huge one. Last year the evening brought in a record sum of more than $31 million.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n None other than Beyonc\u00e9, a familiar gala guest, is a co-chair, joined by Nicole Kidman,tennis champ Venus Williams and the one who runs it all, Vogue\u2019s Anna Wintour. There’s also a \u201chost committee\u201d chaired by designer Anthony Vaccarello and filmmaker Zo\u00eb Kravitz, and featuring names from Sabrina Carpenter and Teyana Taylor to Lena Dunham and Misty Copeland.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe exhibition and benefit are made possible by Jeff Bezos and Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos,\u201d said a Met press release in February. We tried, but the museum won\u2019t say how much the Amazon founder and his wife, as lead sponsors and honorary chairs, are contributing. Protest against their participation has come from an activist group called Everyone Hates Elon, which posted an Instagram video of members hacking subway display cases to post anti-billionaire messages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who took office on an affordability platform, told the local news outlet Hell Gate he will not attend. Among past New York mayors who’ve attended is Eric Adams, who wore a tuxedo with the words \u201cEnd Gun Violence\u201d on the back in 2022.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yes, new digs. \u201cCostume Art\u201d will inaugurate the Conde M. Nast Galleries, created from what was formerly the museum\u2019s retail store and occupying nearly 12,000 square feet (1,115 square meters) off the museum\u2019s Great Hall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Aside from giving fashion a grander display space, this means gala guests now can stroll easily between the show and the dinner at the Temple of Dendur. In a more lasting way, it will prevent snaking lines elsewhere in the museum once the show opens to the public May 10.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Despite the prominence of classic body shapes through art history, curator Andrew Bolton has made sure there\u2019s an element of body positivity in his exhibit, with sections on body types long ignored in art: the corpulent body, for example, and the disabled body. And he\u2019s added 25 new mannequins that reflect these body types. Nine real-life people \u2014 including disability activist Sin\u00e9ad Burke and musician Yseult \u2014 allowed their bodies to be digitally scanned for the mannequins, which will also bear mirror-like polished steel surfaces so viewers can see themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Met Gala started in 1948 as a Manhattan society midnight supper \u2014 held at various places like the Waldorf Astoria and the Rainbow Room. It took many years before it turned into a global event and one of the starriest nights of the year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n No. You must be rich, famous or powerful enough to be invited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Individual tickets are $100,000., and a table of 10 starts at $350,000. There will be approximately 400 guests in all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After the carpet, guests enter the museum, check in (and get stickers placed over their phone cameras!) and walk past an enormous flower arrangement in the museum\u2019s lobby. Often there is an orchestra playing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n After hitting the receiving line, everyone heads either to cocktails, or to the exhibit. Then to dinner. By the main course, most tardy guests have managed to arrive, but not all. Some even wait \u2019til dessert.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"FILE](\"https:\/\/s.hdnux.com\/photos\/01\/66\/03\/02\/30945458\/3\/80x0.jpg)
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When is the Met Gala? <\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
What exactly is the Met Gala?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Who\u2019s hosting?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
But the names generating the most discussion are \u2026.<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Who WON\u2019T be there?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Anything new this year?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Even the mannequins are new<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
How long has this been going on?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Can anyone buy a ticket to the Met Gala?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
If I had one, how much would it cost?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
How do guests spend the evening?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n