Yesterday, Vogue made a dream come true for many as they announced the theme for the 2024 Met Gala to be “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
Next year’s gala is set to showcase around 250 works from The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s permanent collection as the event will celebrate the spring 2024 opening exhibition. Many of the works set to be included are quite elusive and are not commonly shown off to the public. The exhibition will include pieces to represent 400 years of fashion, from contemporary to canonical designs, no stone will be left unturned.
The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO, Max Hollein, told Vogue that “this innovative show will push the boundaries of our imagination and invite us to experience many facets of a work, to learn more about its history, and, ultimately, to gain a deeper appreciation of its beauty.”
The exhibition will be organized into three main areas, Land, Sea and Sky, to represent the change in natural materials used in fashion design over the years. In the center of the gala, 50 very delicate and historical garments, or “Sleeping Beauties,” that cannot be worn again will be showcased. Some of these pieces include Charles Frederick Worth’s silk satin ballgown from 1877 and a bodice from the 17th-century.
Wendy Wu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, Andrew Bolton told reporters that “fashion is one of the most emotional artistic forms because of its connection to the body. It is imbued with memory and emotions, and we relate to it very much via our senses. One thing I hope this show will activate is that sensorial appreciation of fashion.”
With the Met Gala already being known as one of the biggest nights in fashion, it is only right to honor the history of fashion with the Sleeping Beauties theme. While celebrities and gala guests now have more than 6 months to put together a “Sleeping Beauties” worthy ensemble, all viewers have to do is wait until May 6th for the impressive red carpet walks.