What is MET GALA and MET BALL. Star outfits
The Costume Institute Ball has always been known as an event that not only expands, but breaks the boundaries of the fashion world.
Photo: Legion-Media.ru Rihanna, 2015
The Costume Institute Ball (aka Met Gala) 2018 will begin very soon - on the night of May 8th. The world-famous ball, for which the stars carefully prepare for several months, will be dedicated to the influence of religion on fashion. Divine Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination is this year's theme. Well, we are waiting for celebrity outfits that correspond to the stated theme, but for now, we recall the most memorable Met Gala looks over the past 10 years.
2017: Rihanna
2017: Katy Perry
Last year, Katy surprised everyone with her choice of dress. The singer appeared in front of the paparazzi in a bloody outfit from Maison Margiela.
2017: Priyanka Chopra
The Indian actress chose an elongated classic Ralph Lauren trench for the red carpet.
2016: Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid
Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid made their debut as a couple at the 2016 Met Gala. The couple played up the theme of the year - new technologies in fashion - with the help of robo-elements in outfits from Versace.
2016: Lady Gaga
Before criticizing Gaga, let's recall that the theme of that year's ball was "fashion in the age of technology."
2015: Beyoncé
Pop queen Beyoncé in a translucent gold dress by Givenchy.
2015: Rihanna
Haters can compare this Guo Pei RiRi outfit to Big Bird from Sesame Street all they want, but this is one of the Met Gala's best celebrity looks.
2015: Sarah Jessica Parker
Every year, Parker chooses the most unusual images for the ball, for which he falls under a flurry of criticism. For example, this dress from H&M with a "fiery" hat has become an Internet meme.
2014: Lupita Nyong'o
The green mesh, boa, glass beads and Prada headband remind us of a Christmas tree.
2013: Kim Kardashian
This Givenchy outfit was nicknamed by fashion critics as the “sofa dress”.
2012: Carey Mulligan
Prada dress turned Carey into a goldfish or a hero?
2011: Gisele Bundchen
Bundchen took the red carpet by storm in an Alexander McQueen gown.
2010: Mila Kunis
Gray Vera Wang dress made Kunis a real princess.
2009: Kate moss
One of the most spectacular images of 2009 belonged to Kate Moss. Designed by Marc Jacobs.
2008: David and Victoria Beckham
These images of lovers have become the most talked about since the annual Ball of the Costume Institute Met Gala.
New York City hosted the 70th annual Met Gala, hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year, guest celebrities were asked to dress in the spirit of the Catholic theme: Ariana Grande came in a dress with a Michelangelo mural print, Katy Perry wore two angel wings behind her back, and Jared Leto seemed to have completely merged into the role of Hollywood Jesus.
The traditional Met Gala charity ball was held at New York's Metropolitan Museum on May 7th. The theme of the charity event was "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination". The guests were asked to choose the appropriate costumes, and many coped with the task with a bang. Rihanna captivated the guests of the event with a dress inspired by the attire of the Pope.
I hope the Pope announces his retirement after seeing Rihanna's Met Gala costume.
Singer Ariana Grande came to the ball in a magnificent dress, the entire surface of which was covered with a print by Michelangelo's "Last Judgment" - this fresco adorns the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Ariana Grande - Goddess
Another favorite of the public was the singer Lana Del Rey, whose ensemble with a heart pierced by seven blades, referred to the image of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Lana Del Rey is a walking work of art
And singer Solange asked for help choosing an outfit from her subscribers (she later deleted her tweets).
Which of these outfits do you think Solange will wear to the Met Gala tonight? She published these ensembles and held a poll on which one to choose.
As a result, the performer followed advice“just be yourself” and chose the latter option, supplementing it with a black du-reg (a specially tied headscarf).
Okay, Solange convinced me to find a way to incorporate du-reg halos into my daily wardrobe.
The golden dress of singer Katy Perry was decorated with two huge wings, similar to something between the wings of a butterfly and the plumage of an angel.
The owner of her own pair of wings, Katy Perry settled comfortably on the carpet of the Met Gala.
The attention of many of those who watched the ball was attracted by an outfit resembling knightly armor, which the actress and singer Zendaya chose for herself - she appeared in the image of Joan of Arc.
I clenched my fists and waited for someone to come to this Met Gala in the image of Joan of Arc. Zendaya didn't let me down.
The costume chosen by Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star Frances McDormand didn't exactly match the theme of the ball, but it just couldn't go unnoticed.
Mood: Frances McDormand
Frances McDormand should have won her second Oscar for this instead of Three Billboards outside Yeehaw County pic.twitter.com/gMr6bNoa1A
Frances McDormand should have received her second Oscar for this, not for "Three Billboards on the Border of Yi-ha County"
A big surprise for many was that Beyoncé did not make her appearance at the ball. Last year, the singer also missed the event, as she was eight months pregnant.
Beyoncé took the red carpet by storm today
Beyoncé as the Holy Spirit. Charming!
Of the expected guests, Kanye West also did not appear, having been disturbing fans with his Twitter for the past few weeks.
At the ball, it became known that the entrepreneur - they appeared at a charity event together. Their relationship began with an intricate joke that Musk wanted to tweet until he found out that Grimes was ahead of him, after which a correspondence began between them. At the ball, Grimes wore a choker around her neck, vaguely reminiscent of the Tesla logo.
Musk and Grimes with a Tesla choker at the Met Gala are like Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie with an ampoule of his blood around their necks.
On social media, it was a big disappointment that few of the men dared to experiment in order to better fit the spirit of the ball. Many male guests limited themselves to the usual tuxedos and two-piece suits.
Men's clothing at the Met Gala: anticipation vs. reality.
Lord, men, make an effort! This is absolutely out of the question, just try something, anything, show your imagination at least once in your life!
Puff Jared Leto and Chadwick Boseman.
Second Kingdom!
However, Leto was no stranger to unusual costumes.
"Welcome to the Met Gala, Mr. Summer."
Met Gala?
While celebrities showed their outfits to cameras, social networks did not sit idly by, discussing whose outfit is the best. Well, just mercilessly shchipostya.
Me sitting in my pajamas learning Met Gala looks that cost more than my college tuition.
God himself caught in the camera lens
Me, watching the Met Gala and seeing the number of people who ignore the theme of the ball.
My appearance at the Met Gala
How everyone takes pictures at the Met Gala
Meanwhile, in Russia, the red carpet was rolled out yesterday for a different reason: the fourth inauguration of Vladimir Putin as president took place in the Kremlin. True, no one really discussed the costumes - except perhaps in which he came to an official event.
The Costume Institute Ball is deservedly called “the main party of the year”. But it was originally conceived in 1946 as an ordinary charity evening for the “fashion department” of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art: the fact is that the Costume Institute is the only department of the famous museum that is deprived of state sponsorship, which means that it must finance itself.
That is why all the money from ticket sales goes to the needs of the museum, namely the organization and support of the new exhibition.
The event is organized by Anna Wintour, the most influential woman in the industry and the editor-in-chief of Vogue US, who has been involved in all aspects of organizing a holiday from negotiations with designers to seating guests for 23 years. It was in 1995 that much stricter selection criteria were introduced than before - no more than 600 guests can now be invited to the event.
Singer Rihanna at the MET Gala, 2007
Charles Sykes/Invision/APLast year, taking into account the cost of tickets and table reservations at the party itself ($30,000 for an invitation and $275,000 for a table), more than $12 million was collected. However, not all guests need to pay an entrance fee: celebrities often pay fashion houses - on the condition that she be in their haute couture outfit.
Ms. Wintour herself often allows young promising designers to attend the event, who after that actually idolize the editor-in-chief of Vogue and consider her almost the godmother of their career. And all because the appearance of a person at this ball means that from now on you are your own in an aggressive and competitive fashion industry. The invitation is far from being received here because of money: you need to really succeed in the field of fashion, cinema, music or theater, attract the attention of the public and please the editor-in-chief of Vogue.
To shine on the red carpet in New York on the first Monday of May is to be a superstar, a generational favorite, a worthy master of life. Events more glamorous than this, humanity has not yet come up with.
However, the position of the guests is becoming more and more precarious every year, because with a tarnished reputation, party regulars can simply be deleted from the list of invitees. This happened to the family: after he became president of the United States in 2016, not a single member of his extended family was seen at the MET Gala, although before that the millionaire had been consistently attending the evening since 1985. In 2017, during a provocative interview on the show, Anna Wintour was asked who exactly would not be invited to the event again, and although this information is strictly confidential, Anna answered with confidence: "Donald Trump."
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump at the Met Gala 2016
Dennis Van Tine/Geisler-FotopressEach year the ball is assigned a specific theme, which can be anything that has influenced the fashion industry in its vast history, like punk or honoring a designer, as happened last year with Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo and her brand Comme Des Garçons.
The 70th Anniversary Fashion Extravaganza is rumored to be his last as an organizer, so it's worth paying special attention to this party.
If the gossips' assumptions are correct, then the main issue of the year - September - will be the final one in her 30 years as the editor-in-chief of a real fashion bible.
In addition to the main organizer, the leading events are traditionally in the spotlight. This year, Rihanna and were honored - the first two are frequent guests of the event, and Donatella's brother was inspired more than once by Catholic art to create his iconic collections. Vogue magazine, not deviating from its traditions, made the organizers themselves the heroines of the covers of the May and June issues, in addition to the standard issues, a special issue of the magazine is published in June, completely dedicated to the Costume Institute ball.
This year's exposition is titled "Bodies of Paradise: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" and was the result of negotiations between Anna Wintour and the authorities of the small state of the Vatican.
The "cornerstone" of the exhibition, as stated on the official website of the MET, will be the vestments of the Pope and various unique papal accessories from the storage of the Sistine Chapel. Many of the fifty exhibits never left the Vatican, but will be on display at the Anna Wintour Costume Center. In addition to the official attire of the first person, the exhibition will be decorated with designer models from the beginning of the 20th century, inspired by religious aesthetics. Everyone will be able to visit the exhibition itself on May 10, and at two large-scale venues at once: directly at the Metropolitan Museum on 5th Avenue, and at its branch, the Cloisters Museum in the north of Manhattan.
Traditionally, on the first day of May, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted an event that stars, their fans and the media have been waiting for a whole year - the Costume Institute Ball, or Met Gala. This event is deservedly called the main party of the year and the Oscars of the East Coast.
This time, Kim Kardashian, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, Selena Gomez and The Weeknd, Miranda Kerr, Celine Dion, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Madonna, Natalia Vodianova, Daria Zhukova, Serena Williams and Alex Oganian, Lily-Rose Depp and many, many others. You can see all the guests in our gallery.
Click on photo to view gallery 
Donatella Versace and Kylie Jenner
Diana von Furstenberg and Natalia Vodianova
Derek Blasberg and Daria Zhukova
This year we decided to honor the 74-year-old Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo - perhaps the main Japanese avant-garde in fashion, "the most influential designer of the 20th century", the founder of the Comme des Garcons brand. Rei is the second living designer to have an exhibition in the history of the Ball. The first was Yves Saint Laurent in 1983. The exhibition, by the way, is called "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between".
The Met Gala 2017 will be remembered by guests and fans for its numerous debuts. Serena Williams appeared on the red carpet for the first time since the pregnancy announcement; couples of Selena Gomez and The Weeknd, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were released for the first time; Anna Wintour's daughter Bee Shaffer and Franca Sozzani's son Francesco Carozzini also posed for photographers for the first time since the announcement of their engagement; Celine Dion attended the Ball itself for the first time.
The Weeknd and Selena Gomez
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez
Francesco Carozzini and Bee Shaffer
The main purpose of the Met Gala is to raise funds for the Costume Institute, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Last year, 13.5 million dollars were collected, how much the organizers will be able to get this year will become known later. A ticket to such an event costs fabulous money - 30 thousand dollars, a table with celebrity neighbors - 275 thousand dollars. But even if you have such amounts and are willing to spend them like that, you are still unlikely to be able to get on the guest list. Everyone - even the richest and most influential - guest is considered by Anna Wintour. If she does not give the go-ahead, the Ball will be closed for this person.
Lily Rose Depp 
Monica Bellucci and Valentino Garavani
Usually for the public, everything that happens is limited to the red carpet. Continuation of the banquet - behind closed doors. In any case, that's how it used to be. After gadgets and social networks actively entered the life of celebrities, the backstage of the event opened a little. And although Anna strictly forbids taking selfies at the Ball, threatening to blacklist the guest, her demand is regularly violated. In particular, the Kardashian-Jenner clan and the Hadid sisters succeed in this. Thanks to these and other celebrities, we know that after posing on the red carpet, celebrities have the opportunity to view the exhibition, chat with colleagues at a short cocktail party, and then go to dinner with entertainment. Last year, The Weeknd sang for guests, this year he chose to relax next to his new lover Selena Gomez.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
The theme of the Ball this year was "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" ("Handmade versus Machine: Fashion in the Age of Technology") - fans were waiting for truly enchanting images, and the stars did not disappoint them. We have selected the 20 most memorable Met Gala 2016 performances!
Met Gala 2016 outfits
Solange Knowles chose a somewhat strange outfit, according to bloggers, not at all relevant to the theme of the Ball. Immediately after the singer's walk on the red carpet, the Internet was filled with memes in which Beyoncé's sister was compared to corrugated chips. Definitely not Solange's best outing and one of the worst Met Gala 2016 outfits.
Sarah Jessica Parker surprised not only her fans, but also us: looking at the outfit of the actress, one gets the feeling that she was pulled to the Met Gala 2016 right from a run and only managed to change shoes and sew on organza cuffs.
It cannot be said that the image of Selena Gomez is one hundred percent consistent with the chosen topic, but it looks really interesting and unexpected for the singer. By the way, it can be considered futuristic - Gomez's outfit evokes associations with one of the main blockbusters of last year, the film "Mad Max".
Taylor Swift looks modern (we can’t help but note that the new hair color suits the singer much more than her previous indistinct blond shade), but the shoes mercilessly “kill” the initially interesting image. And yes, Taylor's dress begs frantically for accessories.
Rita Ora dressed up as a kind of "iron bird of the future", but even the relative relevance of the outfit to the theme of the event did not save the singer from being included in the selection of the worst images of the Met Gala Ball 2016 - fashion critics clearly had an overdose of "naked dresses" over the past couple of years. And we understand them very well.
Poppy Delevingne clearly opted for the infamous Manus and chose a dress that evokes thoughts of the "roaring 20s", which at the same time looks quite modern thanks to the girl's hair color and dark lipstick. We really like the effective image of the model! This is one of the best Met Gala 2016 outfits.
Pregnancy is not a reason to miss the main fashion event of the year, and even more so to choose boring outfits. Olivia Wilde fits perfectly into the theme of the event!
But Nicki Minaj did not strain too much when choosing an outfit for the Met Gala 2016 Costume Institute Ball - the singer just came in her usual look and another “naked dress”. Nicky, just tell your stylist stop!
Naomi Watts easily proves that a futuristic outfit and femininity are compatible! The spectacular dress of the actress perfectly echoes the accessories, and the deliberately feminine styling successfully contrasts with the outfit.
But the image of Miranda Kerr failed on all fronts. Firstly, the model’s outfit looks too casual for the Ball, and secondly, its upper part deforms Kerr in an eerie way, giving the impression that her breasts are located somewhere in the region of the collarbones.
“Futurism is futurism, and exhibitionism is on schedule,” Madonna seemed to think something like this, once again choosing a very dubious off-topic outfit and at the same time again demonstrating to the audience “buttocks in lace.” How long! (c)
Despite the fact that Lupita's image turned out to be quite controversial, we love it - the actress's futuristic hairstyle fits perfectly into the theme of the Ball, as well as her spectacular dress.
We could not help but include the stunningly beautiful dress of Zoe Saldana in our selection - just looking at the train of the actress's outfit is simply breathtaking!
Alicia Vikander chose a short dress uncharacteristic for the Met Gala, but did not lose. Her outfit could safely live in the wardrobe of a fashionista of the future!
Lady Gaga's outfit also caused a heated discussion on the Web, but we are in a hurry to remind you about the theme of the Ball ("... fashion in the age of technology"), which it fully corresponds to. Therefore, the stylist of the star and Gaga herself - "five" for a serious approach!
But the stylist Kristen Stewart, as always, played a cruel joke with the actress, dressing her in another dress that “spoiled” the actress: the indistinct length literally “chops off” the girl’s legs. But the image could be successful if you remove or, conversely, add 10 centimeters to the hem.
Kim Kardashian, who usually gets into the selection of the worst images, this time among the favorites - with the outfit, the star guessed it one hundred percent. We cannot fail to note how interestingly the image of Kanye West is combined with the outfit of his wife (pay attention to the unusual lenses of the musician!). Bravo!
But this time Kendall Jenner did not quite guess with the image - her dress certainly looks very interesting, but the model clearly lacks accessories.
The image of Katy Perry caused no less Internet discussions than Madonna's outfit: many bloggers and fashion critics found it too dark and much more associated with the theme a la "Gothic" than "... fashion in the age of technology." However, we cannot but agree that Katy looked very impressive.
Probably, if the Greek goddesses lived in our time, they would look something like Kate Bosworth at the Met Gala 2016 - the actress showed an interesting and memorable image, one of the best at the event.
But Irina Shayk, who often delights the eye with spectacular appearances on the red carpet, this time disappointed not only fashion critics, but also fans - almost everyone, without exception, considered the outfit of the supermodel not only not entirely appropriate, but also frankly vulgar.
Fotodom / Rex Features
Gigi Hadid and her beloved singer Zayn Malik looked like a real couple from the future - great images in keeping with the stated theme of the Ball!
The bride of Robert Pattinson, the British singer FKA Twigs, again surprised (however, she also delighted) in an unusual way - the laconic cut of her “nude” dress is balanced by interesting details of the outfit and spectacular accessories.
But the generally recognized queen of the Ball was Claire Danes, who demonstrated the most impressive and at the same time futuristic outfit of the event: designer Zac Posen created an incredible dress with built-in LEDs especially for the actress. Under normal light, it looks like a real Hollywood classic, but in the dark it shines with hundreds of lights - this sight made all the guests of the Ball hold their breath!
