The 2024 Met Gala Theme Has Been Announced, And The Message Is Simple

The theme for the 2024 Met Gala has officially been announced, and I feel it will be a good one. I think this year’s theme could be up there with Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination and China: Through the Looking Glass as some of fashion’s favourite Met themes. And so, without further ado, let’s discuss Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. 

What We Know 

As of yesterday, the evening dress code is “The Garden of Time“, and we have some additional information on the 2024 Met Gala theme. The core exhibition is set to cover 400 years of fashion history and will be structured around 50 historically significant pieces that have been deemed too fragile to ever be worn again. 

While this theme puts archival fashion at the centre of the event, this year encourages attendees to use technologies such as animation, light projection, soundscaping, AI and CGI to bring these looks to life. 

What We Think 

When I first heard about the theme for the night, one thing immediately came to mind: the Kim Kardashian x Marilyn Monroe controversy from the 2022 Met Gala. There is no doubt in my mind that this year’s theme came as a direct result of the conversations that consumed the fashion industry after Kim Kardashian wore and reportedly damaged Marilyn Monroe’s iconic dress for the In America: An Anthology of Fashion theme.

Monroe famously wore the dress while singing “Happy Birthday” to President John F Kennedy in 1962. The dress has since been deemed a priceless piece of both American and fashion history. So, Kardashian’s decision to wear the real dress before changing into a replica sparked a lot of conversation, and not a very positive one. 

While there were varying opinions surrounding the topic, with people landing on various points on the scale, ranging from thinking that this was an iconic Met moment to a complete abomination, the discussion itself was very interesting.

What makes a dress too valuable to be re-worn? Was the issue that the dress was re-worn or that it wasn’t taken care of? Why were people upset when Kim wore the Marilyn Monroe dress but enjoyed it when other celebrities pulled archival looks? And most importantly, what is the best way to celebrate fashion history without damaging fragile pieces?

With so many facets to this conversation, I’m looking forward to it being discussed further with this Met theme, and I’m even more excited to see how designers and stylists interpret this theme and express their views through the looks.  

2024 Met Gala Theme

Reawakening Fashion

Now, “Reawakening Fashion” immediately brings archival fashion to mind. But the beauty of the Met Gala lies in interpretation. There are various other ways that people can dress to the theme without going down the archival route.

Designers may take inspiration from historical fashion without pulling or replicating archival pieces. Another option that I think will be popular is going down the whimsical, fairytale-esque route, focusing primarily on the Sleeping Beauties section of the theme. It is this side of the theme that I feel really excited about. The whimsy and playful element is what I think could put it up there with the great Met Gala’s of the past.  

What We Want From The 2024 Met Gala 

As with every year, we cannot predict every look that the Met Gala will present us with. That’s only because most designers opt for original designs rather than archival looks. However, much like last year’s ode to Karl Lagerfeld, this year’s theme has put archival works at the forefront. So, it is safe to bet that many looks will be archival. With that in mind, there are a few that I would really like to see. 

One dress in the exhibition is the iconic Alexander McQueen monarch butterfly dress designed by Sarah Burton. Personally, this is one of my favourite designs of all time. I would love to see designers take inspiration from this look. Particularly one that uses technology to make butterflies fly and flutter. I’m picturing something similar to the Moschino Spring 2018 collection, where butterflies appeared to be flying around the gown. However, as someone who is not a tech whizz, I have no idea if this would actually be possible. That being said, anything that adds movement to this look would be magical and tie into the theme’s whimsical side.

2024 Met Gala Celebrities

The Undercover Spring 2024 collection, which is closed with light-up terrarium dresses, is a great example of how to incorporate butterflies and technology into this year’s event. Similarly, the theme of butterflies could allow for a Met steps transformation! We all know celebrities like Blake Lively and Lady Gaga would die for this.

I would love to see a cocoon-inspired design turn into that of a butterfly right there on the Met steps. In my head, I am picturing this sort of look on Zendaya. Previously, she loved using technology to create a spectacle at the Met Gala. Following her absence from the event since 2019, this would be a jaw-dropping return to the Met steps from our favourite fashionista. 

Fashion History

As the event is rooted in fashion history, I would love to see some looks that were inspired by historical figures. A particularly popular source of inspiration within the fashion industry is Marie Antoinette. Past collections inspired by Marie include Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 1995, Moschino Fall/Winter 2020, and Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2005.

One of the things that I am most excited about at this year’s Met Gala is seeing how designers interpret and reimagine historical fashions. I also look forward to seeing which historical references designers are inspired by. I have no doubt that Marie Antoinette will be one of them. 

Finally, there are always some guests who take the theme extremely literally, which is normally a cause for criticism amongst onlookers. Good. I’m actually really hoping that we get a couple of these looks this year. I believe some attendees will tap into the whimsical fairytale element of the theme’s title. In spite of the theme being centred on fashion history, of course.

One look that I think would be perfect for the Sleeping Beauties aspect of the theme is the closing look from Guo Pei’s Fall 2019 Couture collection. The look mimics a Sleeping Beauty-esque figure resting in a bed of flowers. TikTok user Erin Fitzpatrick shared this look on this year’s Met theme. Similarly, I’d love to see one of our avant-garde attendees, such as Doja Cat, in the iconic bed-inspired looks from Viktor & Rolf’s Fall 2005 Ready-to-Wear collection.

All-in-all there is much to look forward to for the 2024 Met Gala. I have really high hopes that this could be one of the best themes in recent years.