When it comes to the Met Gala, we see an incredible range of looks on celebrities, and that’s thanks to the themes.
Every year on the first Monday of May, attendees, their stylists and designers put their thinking caps on to make sure they stand out from the crowd. That means guests will take to the carpet on May 5, but we can watch it all from May 6, due to the time difference.
Think of those iconic looks celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Blake Lively, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.
Scroll to read all about how themes are decided, what to expect in 2025, and a look back at past Met Gala themes.
How are the Met Gala themes chosen?
Every year, Met Gala attendees go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a star-studded event to raise funds for the museum’s exhibitions, acquisitions, and capital improvements.
According to CBSMoney Watch, almost $22 million USD was raised in 2023.
Each year, the theme is chosen by Andrew Bolton, who is in charge of curating the Costume Institute.
The themes intend to showcase the spring exhibitions, which open on the night of the gala.
What is the 2025 Met Gala theme?
This year’s theme and exhibition name is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.
It will explore the history of Black style from the 18th century to the present, and how fashion is pivotal to Black identities.
The exhibition is inspired by the book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, which was written by by Monica L. Miller in 2009.
“Dandyism can seem frivolous, but it often poses a challenge to or a transcendence of social and cultural hierarchies,” Monica said in a press release from the museum.
“It asks questions about identity, representation, and mobility in relation to race, class, gender, sexuality, and power. The exhibition explores this concept as both a pronouncement and a provocation.”
Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, are the co-chairs. This year, LeBron James is also an honorary chair.
What are examples of past Met Gala themes?
As we count down to the annual extravaganza, let’s take a look back at Met Gala themes from the last 30 years:
- 1995: Haute Couture
- 1996: Christian Dior
- 1997: Gianni Versace
- 1998: Cubism and Fashion
- 1999: Rock Style
- 2000: No theme
- 2001: Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years
- 2002: No theme
- 2003: Goddess: The Classical Mode
- 2004: Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century
- 2005: The House of Chanel
- 2006: AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion
- 2007: Poiret: King of Fashion
- 2008: Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
- 2009: The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion
- 2010: 2010: American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity
- 2011: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
- 2012: Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations
- 2013: “Punk: Chaos to Couture”
- 2014: Charles James: Beyond Fashion
China: Through the Looking Glass
2015
This theme explored how western fashion has been influenced by China. The exhibition included pieces from major fashion houses such as Dior, Alexander McQueen and Chanel.
Rihanna’s piece (above) took two years to craft.
Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology
2016
In 2016, the exhibition revolved around the differences between manmade and machine-made fashion. On the carpet, there was a range of futuristic and dramatic outfits.
Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between
2017
This theme paid tribute to Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo and her avant-garde designs with Comme des Garçons.
Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination
2018
Items from the Vatican were on display during this theme, and most of them had never ventured beyond Rome. In 2018, hundreds of holy items were on display, and celebrities leaned into religious references.
Camp: Notes on Fashion
2019
2019 is one of the most memorable Met Gala years because of the looks that followed. This theme took inspiration from Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay Notes on Camp, which examined excess, performance, and out-there motifs. Lady Gaga’s above look, which featured three outfit reveals, was a standout.
In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
2021
The annual spectacle was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, but the theme was About Time: Fashion and Duration, which honoured the museum’s 150-year history. The theme then changed in 2021 and explored Bolton’s question of who gets to be American.
In America: An Anthology of Fashion
2022
This theme was a continuation of 2021 and looked at the entirety of America’s fashion history, particularly shining a spotlight on young designers.
Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty
2023
Chanel’s former creative director was honoured posthumously in 2023. The exhibition itself featured pieces of his work from Chanel, Fendi, his own brand, and Chloé, and highlighted his legacy.
The Garden of Time
2024
Vogue revealed that the Garden of Time was inspired by J.G. Ballard’s 1962 book of the same name, and went along with the exhibition Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. The exhibition itself included clothing and accessories spanning across four centuries.
The theme explored fleeting beauty and the fragility of fashion. There were plenty of floral elements across the carpet!
