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Met Gala 2021: Everything you should know

Expect to see influencers on the carpet this year


Jovita Trujillo - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
AUGUST 18, 2021 7:45 PM EDT

The 2021 Met Gala is a few weeks away and this year‘s event is all about American fashion and supporting young talent. The guest list is starting to catch heat because it is reportedly full of influencers, but there will be plenty of A-Listers on the carpet. It’s going to be a ball unlike any other so mark your calendar for September 13th, and scroll down to see everything you need to know about the Costume Institute Gala.

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Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton

 WHEN AND WHERE: The Costume Institute Benefit is on Monday, September 13th and as always, the Gala will be at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. However, since the 2020 Met Ball was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Costume Insitute announced it will include a two-part exhibit.

THE THEME: This year’s theme “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” is all about American fashion, celebrating the American designers and cultural, political, and social events that occur during the pandemic, per Republic World. Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of the Costume Institute told Vogue, ”The American fashion community has been supporting us for 75 years, really since the beginning of the Costume Institute, so I wanted to acknowledge its support, and also to celebrate and reflect upon American fashion.” The first exhibit “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” opens in the Anna Wintour Costume Center at the Met on September 18, 2021, and the second is “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” which opens on May 5, 2022, in the period rooms of the American Wing. Both will remain open through September 5, 2022.

 THE HOSTS Keeping with its youthful theme, the co-hosts are all 25 and under: singer poet Amanda Gorman, singer Billie Eilish, actor Timothée Chalamet, and tennis champion Naomi Osaka.

THE GUEST LIST The Met Gala guest list is kept a secret but Page Six has reported that this year‘s list includes veterans like Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Lupita Nyong’o, and Emily Ratajkowski. Newcomers like Camila Cabello and Olympic medalist Allyson Felix will also hit the carpet. The even is sponsored by Facebook and Instagram and this week there have been multiple reports that people are getting upset because this year’s guest list is full of influencers like TikToker Addison Rae, and YouTuber Emma Chamberlain. A celebrity agent told Page Six, “I think the big actors and the big fashionistas will come next year when it returns in May.” “I also don’t think a lot of people feel like dressing up in ridiculously expensive outfits and putting on a mask for this,” he added. Plus, as noted by the outlet some Gala guests like Saoirse Ronan, Kate Moss, and Salma Hayek live in countries whose residents are banned from entering the US due to the ongoing pandemic.

THE RULES All safety measures are reportedly being taken by the Met, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesperson revealed that all attenders must provide proof of full vaccination and will also be expected to wear masks indoors except when eating or drinking. The guest list was also impacted and according to The Post, Wintour had to slash it from 600 to 450.