Met Gala, Fashion’s grandest event, returns on 6th May that’s the first Monday of May. Filling excitement among fashion Enthusiasts around the world, Met Gala’s theme for the year 2024 as announced by Vogue as “The Garden Of Time” ( for the evening Dress code) which goes hand in hand with Exhibition theme as ” Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” ( for the exhibit).
Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion
The Met Gala will be featuring around 250 garments and looks each visually connected through Nature inspired iconography, symbolizing delicate & fleeting Essene of fashion from over 400 years. Presentation in Cyclical manner of rebirth and Renewal, creativity and activation to portrait senses of smell, touch (texture) sound, motion that are not worn in ages, can’t be worn due to fragile, old, archival etc. reasons. Furthermore breaking the exhibit in three parts the Land, The Sea and The Sky.
Looks at Met Exhibit will include designers like Schiaparelli, Dior, McQueen & more. Some looks so fragile to be worn ever again will also be displayed through Video animation, light projection, AI, CGI, and other sensory stimulation. What is the need to bring such fragile and delicate pieces to put on display? Well, the main goal of the museum is to collect & preserve history, through the private collection, donation and preservation of fashion history. What is mind-blowing is the fact the way they conserve such old, delicate pieces it’s quite risky too to remove them from the box and expose it to the world, might affect the further quality of the piece with exposure to light, dust, temperature.
What make this theme interesting for the Met Gala? Well, in my opinion the way Law roach and many revisits archival pieces for the events, need for going sustainable with fashion, biotechnology to find solutions and Kim’s scenario for last year’s Met Gala look in Marylin Monroe dress, the stir that it caused online for all right reasons. Can be add on to the theme on other hand, The theme this year emphasize on cloth conservation as Each fiber reacts to things differently from pest, molds, lights, chemical, temperature, moisture, damage etc. whether visible or not. Making it difficult in preserving.
The Garden of Time
The Garden Of Time inspired by 1962 short story by J G Ballard, summarizing the story to get understanding of the dress code, The story is about Count Axel and his wife Countess, who lived alone in a villa peacefully far away (story takes place in 16th CE). Their balcony overlooks a magical looking garden and rolling hills. The Counts are well cultured & wealthy too.
Everyday from the balcony they see a ragged army approaching there home slowly & surely with intentions that are unknown. Each evening the army grows closer, one evening they plucks flower made of crystal from the garden which pushes the army back as it envelope and explodes almost like reset back where they were from earlier. Meaning flowers reset the time. This continues for a while, they keep plucking the big ones so that the smaller ones get time to grow, until one day, they get to know they are running out of flowers.
Final day night approach and army successfully break d wall of garden descend on village. Two figure from inside high throne emerges looking exactly like the counts defends the army while doing so neither them nor there outfit is touched by natural factors or the army. Moral the flower turned back time for a while letting to experience few things for a little while more. Exploring the concept of preservation using flowers as a symbol of beauty, youth and innocence and on the idea to repel time like fashion conservators. Time is one factory even with magic flower so much to be done is inevitable…
It is instead a celebration of fashion that is so fragile now that it can no longer ever be worn, which is an elegant way of saying very antique clothing.
Met gala 2024 The Garden of Time Red Carpet Fashion
Considering all the details, its understood that flowers & clock/time will be expected ( but literal or pret interpretation, Will not be up to the mark, meaning example Jared from last Met Gala dress as literal choupette ). Many designers have been inspired by flower & time touching the details & extravaganza of flowers in shape , silhouette, texture, technique & more. that means there is no way one don’t have any option to choose from. Though the story is fairytale converting the theme to Disney Will be stupid. Met Gala 2024 The Garden of Time not Disney there is a difference!
When I say floral for Met Gala 2024 this is the kind of work I would prefer to see. Image 1 Moschino turning the inspiration into a structure. image 2 Zac Posen the king of fashion knows how to work with female bodies, the Seams, technical details & more. though a version of this dress was worn by Nina Dobrew any thing on this concept where each petal is made of glass or technology involved in with will be iconic. Image3 Balmain emphasizing a silhouette in a way elaborate manner preferable archival/ vintage silhouette in drama of detail will look just well thought out ( if done in zero waste technique or so ) Although the reference is strongly women but men in similar concepts can rock the theme & the look.
The Garden of time as Vogue gave the theme for the Met Gala, 16th CE aesthetic is also what can be expected with the connection of the story. on contrary might also make it look as gilded inspired look if not done correctly, the delicacy, intricate detailing, cuts and silhouette if demonstrate well, as such looks are too delicate to be worn again demonstrating inevitable decay if went for archival looks. ( Recent victory and Rolf collection where de did deconstruction look o a single piece some like dat a performance would be so dope to witness)Last Met Gala had few archive look seen on celebs while some revisited there own archive on that note looks that holds time in most Avant grade way to be worn at met Will be breath taking.
as the regerences below, Image 1 Guo Pei True Avant garde Designer at best. Image 2 Galliano, Images 3 zac Posen ( vintage/ Period silhouette in modern takes)
Technology for Met Gala & The Garden of time plays major role in fashion looks that are heavy on technology like Image 2 Issye Miyake melting dress, McQueen painting dress, Image 1 Hussain challians runway look, Image 3 Copernic bandage look and more in grand way will not just give Fashion but Will capture grandeur in art, technology and performance.
Art pieces that brands like Loewe, Schiaparelli, Image 1 Thierry Mugler, Image 2 McQueen, Guo pei, Megrelia, Galliano, victory and Rolf, Thom Browne, Zac Posen, RAF Simon’s and more does the actual couture.
Fashion throughout the time had justified its cyclical nature & is a much broader and real world example where the world is garden and concepts and inspiration are flowers where each plucks there own flowers, some gets deeply lost in the leaves while some stick to it roots. more fashion option that guys can take inspiration from too Image 2 Balmain where the entire jacket is beaded. Image 3 Loewe.
No matter what happens looks like Dior petal gown or Dior in general Will be a hard misss for more than 10 thousand times its been seen on different people its done n dusted!. Pret version of theme trying to be on theme will be waste of opportunities. we are not going for any event we are talking about Met Gala 2024.
Knowing nothing on theme or blankly walking with no context or I’m wearing this coz I feel good, well good but if that’s the excuse Bye stay home. Will be disrespectful on max level Not putting effort at all blankly showing up better stay home.
Previous years has made it possible to say men’s Also can do fashion correctly not putting thought showing up in bodyguard uniform, well again stay home. considering previous met look do feel some will take center stage to spread awareness & educate people on current scenarios happening in the world ( yes i mean FREE PALESTINE!!)
What ever happens great expectations from the co-host when it comes to fashion as The evening will be co-hosted by Zendaya (to see her back at The Met been waiting so long) , Bad Bunny (it will be his second time quite strong expectations from him for he already set a benchmark for himself from previous Met look) , Jennifer Lopez (pls don’t disappoint) , and Chris Hemsworth ( it Will be his first time attending the event hoping he don’t disappoint) along side Anna Wintour ( as usual might show up barely touching the theme) for the 2024 Met Gala
Honorary chairs are Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson (Dope person with the perspective he brings in fashion through art, great respect) and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew (won’t be surprised to see bunch of tik tokkers genuinely would prefer fashion people who are more worthy than them). With that been said Cant wait to see the outcome on 6th May!!