Last night, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, an institution within itself, held its “Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology” Costume Institute Gala. To be clear, you would have had to intentionally ignore the fanfare to wake up this morning without at least a glimpse of the notorious attendees of last evening’s function.
This year the theme was all about technology and how it’s impacted the design of fashion. Science and technological invention is a prominent thought in the mind of designers and fashion producers around the world. We loved seeing how every attendee interpreted (or ignored) the theme with their ensemble. The Met Gala has certainly evolved into one of the most influential events on the fashion calendar.
Everyone from Beyonce and Taylor Swift to Marc Jacobs and Prabal Gurung, displayed their version of black tie fashion for the dinner and celebration. But you might be surprised to hear that the Met’s event did not have such ostentatious beginnings.
We’ve found some of the most interesting facts about the Costume Institute and the Met Gala that demonstrate how the benefit turned from a New York whose-who into Hollywood’s hottest ticket.
1. The Costume Institute’s collection of more than 35,000 costumes and accessories represents five continents and seven centuries of fashion.
2. The Founder of the CFDA, Eleanor Lambert, created and ran the Met Gala event initially.
3. The Met Gala, formally known as The Costume Institute Gala originates in 1948, as a midnight supper dubbed, “The Party of The Year.”
4. This is the first year ever that mainstream news coverage aired the red-carpet of the event. E! News dissected the affair for eager viewers.
5. Vogue’s Anna Wintour actually took over the running of the Met Gala in 1995, where she changed it from a society event into a Hollywood event.
6. A single ticket to the Met Gala costs as much as $25,000.
7. An entire table at the Met Gala can reach as much as $250,000.
8. Most of the tickets are purchased by major fashion houses.
9. However, some people get a free ride. Vogue compiles a celebrity wish list and secures their attendance to the event.
10. Fashion powerhouses are not just present at the Gala, Vogue also invites selected up-and-coming designers to the affair.
11. Vogue has a coordinator, whose sole job is to plan the party, which reportedly takes 8 months to fully plan.
12. About 650-700 people attend the gala every year.
13. A calligrapher is kept on hand the day of the event for last-minute place card changes.
14. The Met Gala is one of the biggest fundraising events of the year, reportedly raising 9 million dollars last year.
15. The Gala has evolved. See the themes from the past two plus decades, according to Marie Claire:
1995: Haute Couture 1996: Christian Dior 1997: Gianni Versace 1998: Cubism and Fashion 1999: Rock Style 2000: No gala presented 2001: Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years 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: 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 2015: China: Through the Looking Glass 2016: Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology
NorthEnd Empire Films LLC presents “Irresponsibull” movie. Allen is ready to settle down. Only his girlfriend Theresa doesn’t think he’s anywhere close to being responsible enough to start a family. When an unexpected opportunity arises for Allen to keep Theresa’s nephew and niece (Brian and Britt) and prove his maturity, he jumps to it…without knowing these two kids are not your average youngsters. Marcus is a low level scam artist that works for his uncle, the most “dangerous construction boss” in Chicago. He continues to screw up job after job and is desperate to show his uncle/boss that he can be responsible and counted on in the family business. The boss gives him just one more chance to prove himself. Then, the most unlikely of events happens, causing a chance meeting of Allen and Marcus and starting a downward spiral like no other. Can any of these men make it out and show that they are indeed NOT Irresponsibull?
Skanks The Rap Martyr and GStats Hard Bars announce the release of their tribute album ‘Martin & Malcolm.’ The 13-track project is presented by Anarchy Records and Bankai Fam. It comes with an elite selection of features including Ruste Juxx a.k.a Nat Turner, Big A.V a.k.a Father Divine, Low Banga a.k.a Huey P & D-Strong a.k.a Che Guevara, Milez Grimez a.k.a JFK & Shatike a.k.a Marcus Garvey, Supreme J.A.H a.k.a Allah The Father, Kenyattah Black aka Noble Drew Ali, Bazzo The Great a.k.a H. Rap Brown & Sunez a.k.a Pedro Albizu Campos, Poison Pen a.k.a Bumpy Johnson & Tone Spliff a.k.a Sam Giancanna, and SMACCZ a.k.a Muhammad Ali.
All features take on aliases as past leaders while Skanks and GStats portray Martin and Malcolm. They show off a unique, unmatched lyrical wit sure to leave a lasting impression. Stream the project and connect below.