1. Rules are made to be broken
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For years, news sites have reported that the Met Gala had restrictions prohibiting participants from taking photos and smoking within the event, among other things. However, only some of those rules are actually enforced. Are people taking pictures and videos? Yes. You saw it, too, on your favorite celebrity's IG. Bathroom pictures are totally a thing; go figure.
2. Some celebrities are banned from attending the Met Gala
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You gotta be very careful with what you say about certain influencing people. Otherwise, you're going to end up like Tim Gunn, who's banned from attending the Met Gala ever again. Well, not that you'd get the chance to, but you get the picture. Now Tim Gunn and a few other people can no longer admire the impressive art displayed at every Met Gala and wonder what on earth it is... not that it is
that confusing or something.
3. "It's all so fake"
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Not all celebrities enjoy the prestigious event, and some don't even attend anymore. For example, Amy Schumer's last Met Gala was in 2016 when she admitted, in an interview on the Howard Stern Show, that she left earlier than she should have. "I got to meet Beyoncé, and she was like, 'Is this your first Met Gala?'" the actress said. "And I was like, 'It's my last.'"
4. You don't get to choose who you sit with
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Sometimes, it can get really awkward at such events. Why? You don't get to sit with your friends or acquaintances. Instead, you're seated based on who dressed you: Attendees who wear a certain designer's creations are all seated together. Like art in a museum. Which Met Gala actually is. You get the picture.
5. The price of the ticket is jaw-dropping
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Tickets to the event start at a whopping $30,000 per person and can go up to $50,000, with complete tables costing between $275,000 and $500,000. Because tickets are so scarce, some celebrity agents even call and offer large donations in exchange for a spot for their clients. Not everyone makes it, though.
6. You need to be approved to participate
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Even if you have $30,000 lying around, you might not be able to get in. Wintour ultimately determines who gets in and who gets out (she's got the power), and even if a brand purchases a place at the table, each guest must be approved. Designers normally pay for a table and then collaborate with Vogue associates and event organizers to compile a list of individuals who the editor approves of.
7. And then pray your plus one gets approved as well
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If you see your beloved celebrity without their significant other on the Met Gala red carpet, don't assume they've broken up. They're by themselves because there's a "no extra policy" for those who are not on the already approved guest list. This event almost seems impossible to enter, right?
8. Each celebrity is chosen to wear the designer's creations
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These attendees don't pay for their tickets. Lucky them. This is an "each designer brings his own muse" situation. The creator gets to choose someone (a celebrity, of course) they feel that represents their aesthetic the best. That particular celebrity will have a free ticket and get to enjoy the hot and crowded event without worrying about their next meal.
9. The Met Gala's been around since the 1940s
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Did you think the Met Gala is something they came up with in recent years? Well, you're wrong. The event was set in motion in 1948 by publicist Eleanor Lambert to get hefty contributions from New York's elite society. Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue, didn't get affiliated with the event until 1995.
10. Only stars who fit into the evening's theme are invited
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Every year, Anna Wintour handpicks the artists and personalities she believes best embody the topic of the event. The 2019 Met Gala, for example, has co-chairs Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, and Serena Williams, all of whom are representatives of the relatively new emerging art known as "camp."
11. But you can always get uninvited
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Remember our friend Tim Gunn? If you get on Wintour's bad side after (or before, in this case) the Met Gala, you are bound to face the consequences. Just ask Rachel Zoe. Zoe was supposedly barred from attending the 2007 Met Gala after telling The New York Times that she had become "more influential" than Anna Wintour.
12. You need to "make a difference" to be considered
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The Kardashians, Paris Hilton, and Nicole Richie were among the celebrities who tried for years to get a pass to the event. Thankfully, Nicole and the Kardashians were eventually successful. The reason they had to try so hard to get an invite? They weren't recognized for "making a difference" in Anna's perception. Whatever that means.
13. Age restriction is real, too
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Ever wondered by celebrities never bought their kids to the gala? There's a reason for that. The organizers mandated that participants be at least 18 years old in order to enter the event. And while North West attended the 2023 Met Gala with Kim Kardashian, she did not walk the red carpet with her mother due to the 18-and-older age requirement.
14. Many of the servers are models and actors themselves
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Olivier Cheng and other catering companies that get the job of creating and providing the menu for the fabulous night, as well as other agencies providing other staff, are known for hiring models and actors to serve the guests at such events. In other words, most of the staff at the Met Gala are working in the acting or modeling industry. I bet you didn't know that.
15. The Met Gala is an exhibition actually
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While the gala has a sit-down part of the night (which you might already be aware of from celebrities' IGs), attendees actually do stroll around the exhibition after the red carpet. As a matter of fact, the event coincides with the opening of the museum's annual fashion exhibit; this is also why the gala is themed each year, with guests dressing accordingly.
16. Met Gala is not its real name
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The Met Gala has, in fact, a much longer, more formal term. The annual event is technically known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit. Kind of a long name, if you ask me. Met Gala sounds better; it's also an easier name to remember.
17. VVIPs get special treatment
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Despite the fact that the entire party profile is full of A-list VIPs, Anna Wintour always has (or had) some VVIPs, such as Tom Ford, the late Karl Lagerfeld, and Harvey Weinstein, "carefully" pulled out of the queue for the red carpet so they won't have to wait to get inside the party.
18. All the best drama happens in the elevator
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Of course, there was the Solange fight, but it didn't
technically take place at the museum. There was also the time at the 2014 event when Cara Delevingne, Reese Witherspoon, and Zooey Deschanel were filmed riding down with plenty of social lubrication. The evening got better as Reese's accent thickened, neither one of them could pronounce "Delevingne," and the F-bombs suddenly multiplied and got louder.
19. No one actually falls down the stairs
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Although our president might be a bit clumsy with the stairs, at least our celebrities are not. Yay! During the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, a mystery man took a spectacular tumble down the stairs, and for some reason, the internet decided the man resembled Jason Derulo. The image was shared during the 2015 Met Gala, launching an ongoing tradition, and it is still reposted for every major red carpet event to this day. There's no need to worry about Jason Derulo, though. He is safe.
20. No parsley, please!
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To avoid foul breath, onions, garlic, and parsley are strictly forbidden at the Met Gala. However, in particular, parsley is a really unwelcome addition to the event. Why? Obviously, because it tends to get lodged in your teeth way too easily. And if Wintour says no parsley, there is no parsley. Bruschetta is also off the menu. It can easily get on the clothes, you know?
21. Celebrities might not be able to see the "No Smoking" sign. Seriously!
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Remember the rules that are often broken at the event? Well, in 2017, Bella Hadid, Stella McCartney, Dakota Johnson, and Rami Malek were all photographed smoking in the Met Gala bathrooms in violation of New York City's Smoke-Free Air Act. As a result, the gala now has Department of Health personnel on hand to ensure that participants do not smoke illegally.
22. You can storm out angrily if you don't like where you're seated
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Not only once, but twice! Kidding. But back in 2006, John Lydon of the Sex Pistols stormed out on two occasions because he was unhappy with where he was seated. Do you recall what we said about the Met Gala seating system? That's right. When the band member, also known as Johnny Rotten, found his seat (that undesirable, last table that celebrities - and not only - dread), he was clearly upset. He stormed out not once, but twice... to make a lasting impression, we bet.
23. 20 seconds
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Anna Wintour, the host of the Met Gala since 1995, greets each guest at the top of the stairs as they enter. But want to hear the juicy part? Each guest is only allowed 20 seconds of conversation before someone moves them along. She has no time to waste, you see.
24. That time when Rihanna performed on top of a table
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The 2015 Met Gala had a once-in-a-lifetime surprise when one of its guests decided to try some DIY karaoke. Rihanna shocked guests by jumping on top of a table and singing, "B**** Better Have My Money." What a way to get your money's worth! However, the bill arrived later: she charged more than $1 million for her performance.
25. Some celebrities love a hidden message
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The 2018 gala was the year with the most hidden messages. For example, the gemstones on Blake Lively's Judith Leiber purse spelled out "Reynolds" and contained the initials B, J, I, and R, signifying Blake, her daughters James and Ines, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Selena Gomez also wrote by hand a verse from the Bible that was printed onto her bag: "A woman who fears the Lord is a woman who shall be praised." Interesting, no?
26. Recycled plastic bottles dress is the new fad
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Emma Watson, a vocal proponent of sustainability in the fashion business, wore an eco-friendly dress constructed of recycled plastic bottles at the 2016 Met Gala. While many celebrities and public people advocate sustainability and eco-friendly living, not everyone has the guts to actually wear a dress made of recycled plastic bottles. To an event of this caliber. And still look stunning.
27. Wardrobe malfunctions are on the agenda
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There are plenty of wardrobe malfunctions at red carpet events. Big, train-adorned gowns paired with a slew of hindrances such as chairs and plants... you figure. But when you place 50,000 freshwater pearls and 16,000 crystal pearls on a gown, there is always the possibility of disaster, which is exactly what happened when Kim Kardashian's Schiaparelli gown encountered a wardrobe malfunction as she arrived at the 2023 Met Gala red carpet. What can we say... it happens!
28. It's a school cafeteria remake
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The Met Gala is similar to a high school cafeteria. No names will be mentioned this time, but there have been instances where feuds have escalated, or a particular celebrity did not want to sit beside another due to a previous dispute. Or, on occasion, someone might inadvertently give someone else the side eye, and things escalate from there. It's a whole show, trust us.
29. Spouses are separated
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Again to the seating arrangements. (Do you see a pattern here?) The chart changes frequently before the event, but the most notable point here is that spouses are not always seated next to each other. The organizers would usually avoid this because, they say, the goal of these events is to connect with new folks and learn about what others are up to. Fair enough, I guess?
30. Walking with millions of dollars around the neck
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The Met Gala is the perfect occasion to make some noise with your jewelry, and most attendees do exactly that. For example, Priyanka Chopra Jonas wore a stunning Bulgari necklace to this year's gala, which contained the Laguna Blu diamond, a one-of-a-kind gemstone estimated to be valued at more than $25 million. Depending on how much jewelry a celebrity wears, some are escorted by their personal bodyguards (besides having access to staff security).
31. The worst outfits in Met Gala history! Beyoncé's latex dress
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Latex can usually go one of both ways - but it usually goes south. Case in point: Beyoncé's beige latex dress that got shaded by plenty of critics, particularly because of its resemblance to 'pimples' that desperately needed to be popped... We're sure the pearls looked good up close, though!
32. Rihanna's pizza dress
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What's better: looking like a pimple-popping video, or a huge slice of pizza? You decide. Rihanna's yellow fur-trimmed dress went down in history not for being an iconic piece of fashion, but for being prime meme potential when everyone said the same thing about that huge train.
33. Jared Leto's decapitated head
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Just in case you think your face isn't getting enough attention from the fashion photographers, how about taking a second face instead? While this could easily be the extreme or thought-provoking art, all it ended up being was just simply terrifying.
34. Kim Kardashian's granny couch
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Kim Kardashian is no stranger to the Met Gala red carpet - and to her outfits being talked about - but this one was particularly awful. People likened the chosen pattern of it to a couch or curtains that a granny might have, and it definitely wasn't a flattering shape to best show off her pregnancy!
35. Solange Knowles' wearable disc
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This one is one of those that you stare and stare at, and the longer you stare, it either turns more amazing or turns more horrible. You decide. Many people still can't work this one out - and couldn't at the time, when Solange unveiled it - but it's certainly memorable, we'll give her that.
36. Madonna dressed as lamb
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Madonna really brings it when it comes to crazy fashion choices, but this one left a lot of us perplexed. She looked like a 50 year old dressed as an 18 year old prom queen - or at least trying to be - whilst also having a strangely tall hairpiece on. It was giving 80s without... giving at all.
37. Karolina Kurkova's declaration of love
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There's a lot of pressure on models to look good all of the time - as well as wear something spectacular for events like this - so maybe that's why Karolina's dress fell a little flat. Her white gown with bright red "I love you" text might have sounded good in theory, but it didn't really work - at least that's what critics thought, anyway.
38. Jaden Smith carries his own hair
image source: time.com
We've had an actor carrying a replica of his head, now we have Jaden Smith, for some reason, carrying his old hair. His outfit was otherwise unremarkable in plain black, but it was the accessory he carried that was most bizarre. He'd recently cut off his hair for an acting role, but apparently couldn't entirely part with it.
39. Jessica Alba's minimal effort
image source: buzzfeed.com
We've all worn this outfit to go out clubbing at least once, right? While it's not the worst thing we've ever seen, the point is this is a super duper fashion event - and nothing about this says 'effort' or 'Met Gala'. We don't really know what she was thinking with this one!
40. Shailene Woodley's bad cosplay
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We already know how to do the Joan of Arc look exactly right - thank you, Zendaya - but Shailene Woodley unfortunately proved how to do it exactly wrong. While this should have looked expensive, based on the fact it was designer and how many hours it took to make, it instead looked like something a mom throws together the night before her kid's play when they're playing Extra #3.
41. Katy Perry's beehive
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The theme for the year the singer chose to wear this outfit was about embracing technology and a more 'futuristic' vibe, and although the amazing black and gold dress was a spectacle to look at, it was all ruined by that strange black beehive hair that pretty much stole the focus from the outfit!
42. Zendaya's structured skirt: love it or hate it
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This look is one you either applaud or cringe over, and for fashion critics, they were heavily divided: some hated it, while others had nothing bad to say about it. Does such divide mean it's a good look? We still don't know, but it was definitely unique with that weird structured train...
43. Helen Lasichanh's questionable red jumpsuit
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Women everywhere can all agree - we love it when clothes have pockets. And with this jumpsuit you get that iconic 'standing with your hands in your pockets' sort of vibe, but there's still something strange about this particular outfit choice made by Pharrell Williams' wife.
44. Beauty or beast? Katie Holmes' yellow dress
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Yellow is definitely a colour that only a certain amount of people can pull off, and it's not exactly that Katie Holmes doesn't suit it, it's just that some people likened it too much to a Belle wannabe - and whether that's a good or a bad thing, you decide. Either way, it looked more like it belonged at Disneyland than the Met Gala carpet.
45. Gwyneth Paltrow's apron
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This extremely short offering from Gwyneth Paltrow definitely left people divided, mostly because of how short and potentially risky it was in terms of wardrobe malfunctions! We know by now there's nothing wrong with showing skin, but this one - with its extreme side boob and backless design - was more like an apron you'd wear over... well, nothing.
46. Madonna's NSFW black gown
image source: vanityfair.com
Or should we say NSFMG (Not Safe For Met Gala)! If you thought Gwyneth Paltrow's outfit was too revealing, this one from Madonna might shock you. The back of it revealed her behind in full form, while from the front, we could see that she'd wrapped her legs and arms KT tape (sports injury tape), for some reason.
47. Gigi Hadid's bizarre neutral gown
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We get it: fashion should be experimental. But maybe not this experimental. A lot of people were left confused by this neutral frock worn by Gigi Hadid, which just felt... off. One side was a lacklustre tulle dress, while the other was a mini dress, all while revealing thigh-high fishnets that didn't really match.
48. Katy Perry's burger dress
image source: teenvogue.com
This might have been an after-party dress rather than for the actual Gala, but it's still worth a mention - because it's so random! If the theme of the after-party was food, she nailed it. But no one other than Perry knows why she wore this very uncomfortable looking burger grown!
49. The cut on Kendall Jenner's confusing dress
image source: vogue.com
This dress is actually very pretty compared to a lot on this list, but the cut of it just makes it hurt the eyes - and the head - when you're looking at it. It's just not good to look at because it's almost like it can't decide which direction to go in, then the huge slash in the middle throws you off even more!
50. Kodi Smit-McPhee's crime scene gloves
image source: vogue.com
We really don't know where to start with this one. The white shirt and blue jean combo barely passes the smart casual vibe - jeans to a Met Gala
could work if they were at least a fashionable cut - but it's those bright red gloves that offend us all. Was he scrubbing the red carpet before he walked on it?