What is the theme of Met Gala 2022? Date, venue, and more details explored

One of the biggest nights of fashion, The Met Gala 2022, is back on the first Monday of next month, May 2. This year's Met Gala 2022 theme, which was revealed by Vogue, is "In America: An Anthology of Fashion."

The Met Gala 2022 will center around the theme of 'Tenets of American Style' and will celebrate the unsung heroes of the United States. Once again, the world's superstars will go all out with the classiest gowns and most expensive suits, tailored exclusively for them, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City.

More about The Met Gala 2022

Formally known as Costume Institute Benefit, The Met Gala is a fashion exhibit, where A-listers including influencers, actors, actresses, models, and musicians make their appearance in extravagant costumes, styled according to the year's theme.

Former editor-at-large of Vogue and the late fashion journalist Andre Leon Talley called the Met Gala a "Super Bowl of Fashion." The Met Gala was founded in 1946 and held its first major event in 1948. The first-ever theme from the glorious night was "The World of Balenciaga."

Recent themes have, however, been more generic. For example, the theme of The Met Gala 2019 was "Camp: Notes on Fashion." Similarly, for 2018, the event's theme was "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination." The most recent Met Gala 2021, was themed "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion."

This year's theme is a continuation of last year's, and can only be described with only two words, i.e. "Gilded Glamor." The costumes will draw inspiration from the Gilded Age from 1870 to 1890, an era marked as the turn-of-the-century in American history. The history of the era can be explored further in the recently released HBO Max series The Gilded Age.

In an interview with Vogue, Wendy Yu curator Andrew Bolton, who is in charge of the Costume Institute, spoke about the theme and expected ensembles of the Met Gala 2022

"One of the main intentions of the exhibition is to spotlight the talents and contributions of these individuals, and many of them are women."

Bolton pointed out that during the Gilded Age, women's clothes were particularly extravagant. They were dramatic and constructed with multiple fabrics in bright colors. They were also accessorized with over-the-top accessories such as feathered hats, hand fans, and more.

In formal events like the opera, women and men were restricted to dress codes, such as tulle gowns for women. These tulle gowns featured a plunging neckline and a pair of white gloves. Men, on the other hand, were required to wear white collars and top hats.

Bolton further expressed his expectations from the event, who hoped that the celebrities will honor American designers like Oscar de la Renta in The Met Gala 2022, while also paying tribute to the multiple forgotten artists.

"What’s exciting for me is that some of the names will be very familiar to students of fashion, like Charles James, Halston, and Oscar de la Renta, but a lot of the other names really have been forgotten, overlooked or relegated into the footnotes of fashion history."

Fans can expect their favorite stars to focus on the word "gild," which means the word golden. One of the clearest options for the theme is Schiaparelli, whose recent couture collection was filled with gowns and dresses with golden ornate details featuring a sleek back and white theme.

Other designers who can be expected to be seen on the red carpet include Balmain, Altuzarra, Versace, and Vivienne Westwood. As always, we can expect many surprising looks from celebrities, who take their styles up by a notch on the red carpet, with their unique interpretations of the theme and abstract concepts.

Edited by Saman