The Met Gala, an annual event notionally intended to raise funds and awareness of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, is once again dominating the entertainment-news cycle for a morning. Over the past several years, it’s come to occupy a similar space in the celebrity calendar as the Oscars or Golden Globes, a guaranteed headline-generator thanks to the attendees’ elaborate wardrobes.
But at awards shows or movie press tours or other red-carpet opportunities of the sort, there’s something at stake beyond fashion. When a star walks the red carpet at the Oscars, she’s there on the basis of her talents and abilities, and at a movie premiere, she’s specifically hoping to draw attention to her work onscreen. Stars are invited to the Met Gala, usually by the fashion companies with the wherewithal to buy seats, with the understanding that they’re little more than ornamentation. There’s no other prize to win but best-dressed.
In large part because the event is run by Vogue (a magazine in whose pages it’s considered a coup to appear), the stars who attend generally play ball with fairly extreme requests. The majority abide by themes that are often risky or unflattering; Sex and the City actress Sarah Jessica Parker, for instance, wore an ornate red headpiece in honor (sort of!) of Chinese fashion last night, and when the theme was “punk” in 2013, she wore a fake mohawk. The Met Gala isn’t exactly trolling the stars who attend, but it makes clear that—in the era of Reese Witherspoon’s “Ask Her More” movement encouraging stars to assert their intellectual sides on the red carpet—the whole point is to sublimate oneself to fashion.
That’s not to say that stars’ personalities don’t come through, in one way or another, at the Met Gala. From Rihanna’s regal yellow gown to Beyoncé’s near-nude dress, the looks all were roughly on-brand for the stars inhabiting them. But the looks are all we have. Though there are reporters on the red carpet, they generally get next-to-nothing but the names of designers. The Met Gala is a nutrient-free event, perfect for the Internet age. It produces no meaningful takeaway, just a set of images of celebrities onto which one can project anything.
In 2013, Gwyneth Paltrow, who’d bent the rules by wearing Pepto pink to the “punk” gala, made waves when she said that she’d never attend the event again. “It was so un-fun,” the actress said. But who could be surprised by that? The event doesn’t even look like fun. It looks like the boiled-down essence of a celebrity’s job: Spending hours getting ready to be photographed, in order to provide grist for one’s fans and make other people money. All of them will be honored for the more edifying aspects of their jobs on other occasions, but for spectators, the Met Gala is a refreshing break from meaning in favor of pure celebrity.
See Celebrities on the Red Carpet at the 2015 Met Gala
Amal Clooney and George Clooney attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesRihanna attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesJay Z and Beyonce attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesJessica Chastain attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Jamie McCarthy—FilmMagic/Getty ImagesKerry Washington attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesKim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty ImagesJennifer Lawrence attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Jamie McCarthy—FilmMagic/Getty ImagesLizzy Caplan attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesLorde attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesNeil Patrick Harris and David Burtka attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Jamie McCarthy—FilmMagic/Getty ImagesAnne Hathaway attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesElizabeth Banks attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesAmanda Seyfried attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesDonna Karan and Calvin Klein attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesSolange attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty ImagesAlison Brie attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesBrie Larson attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesKaty Perry attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Jamie McCarthy—FilmMagic/Getty ImagesMary Kate and Ashley Olsen attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesKeri Russell attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesHelen Mirren attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesKatie Holmes attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesSarah Jessica Parker attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesAnna Wintour attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesBee Shaffer attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesGong Li attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesDwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesWendi Murdoch attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesAnsel Elgort attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesKenneth Cole attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesJohn Boyega attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Jamie McCarthy—FilmMagic/Getty ImagesMarissa Mayer attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesLarry David attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesCourtney Eaton attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesSpike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesGrace Coddington attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty ImagesAllison Williams attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Jamie McCarthy—FilmMagic/Getty ImagesIrina Shayk attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesEmily Ratajkowski attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesDianna Agron attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesKatie Couric attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesRachel Weisz attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesLily Collins attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesChloe Grace Moretz attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesTaraji P. Henson and Alexander Wang attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesChloe Sevigny attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesKendall Jenner attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesClaire Danes attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesDakota Johnson attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesKate Hudson attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesJennifer Connelly attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesCara Delevingne attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesAdriana Lima attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesKarlie Kloss and Gigi Hadid attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesEmily Blunt attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesMiranda Kerr attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty ImagesRita Ora attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesCarey Mulligan attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesOlivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesKate Beckinsale attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesLady Gaga attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesMiley Cyrus and Zoe Kravitz attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesVanessa Hudgens attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesVera Wang and Selena Gomez attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesKate Mara attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images