The 2024 Met Gala, widely considered the world’s most anticipated fashion event, has arrived. Forbes Australia breaks down the glamorous night by the numbers.
The Met Gala, which always takes place on the first Monday in May in New York City, has officially begun. From the exorbitant ticket price to the limited number of attendees, the Met Gala manages to remain one of the most exclusive fashion events.
The event, which actually debuted back in 1948 as a fundraiser for the Costume Institute (when tickets were just $50 each, according to early reports), continues to celebrate the Constitute Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and this year, the theme of the exhibit Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.
Gallery
50
That’s the number of historically significant pieces within the Met’s exhibit, which are too fragile to ever be worn again. Hence the name Sleeping Beauties, according to Vogue.
33,000
That’s the number of dresses and accessory objects in the Met’s fashion collection, which spans seven centuries.
600
That’s how many guests are generally invited to the Met Gala, most of which are Hollywood stars, young creatives and industry heavyweights.
$75,000
That’s how much an individual ticket to the Met Gala will set attendees back, which is a price increase of 30% on last year’s $50,000, as reported by Time. That’s USD, which means a ticket will in fact set you back AU$113,020.
What does it get you? Access, mainly. Though, then there are the photo and press opportunities, networking, access to the exhibit, a formal dinner, a performance, party – and after-party.
$350,000
That’s how much a table, which is often purchased by companies, design houses or brands, will cost. However, even if a table is purchased, Vogue editor-in-chief and Met Gala co-chair Anna Wintour must still approve seating arrangements.
$22,000,000
That’s how much the Costume Institute, which is the only self-funded department at the Met, raised during last year’s gala.
$223,500,000
That’s how much Wintour has raised for the Costume Institute during her time as co-chair.
$25,000,000
That’s how much singer Rihanna’s Cartier jewellery cost when she attended the 2023 Met Gala. It’s the most expensive jewellery worn on the Met Gala carpet, according to Page Six.
$4,800,000
That’s how much Kim Kardashian’s dress – Marilyn Monroe’s custom gown worn to sing Happy Birthday to John F. Kennedy in 1961 – to the 2022 Met Gala cost. It remains the most expensive dress worn to the Gala in history.
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