Met Gala 2024 Theme Revealed: The Garden of Time

The Costume Institute Gala, known as the Met Gala, will take place on May 6, 2024, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The theme is 'The Garden of Time,' inspired by a short story by J.G. Ballard about a count and countess trying to preserve their garden from a crowd and time. The accompanying exhibition, 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,' opens May 10 and features about 250 pieces from the Costume Institute's permanent collection, including 50 too fragile to ever be worn. Curator Andrew Bolton noted that a silk satin ball gown from 1877 by Charles Frederick Worth inspired the theme. The exhibition is divided into three sections—Earth, Sea, and Sky—tracing fashion's engagement with nature through craftsmanship and natural materials. It will include archival pieces from the 17th century, Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, and contemporary designers like Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney, and Connor Ives. Sensory stimulation and Pepper's Ghost illusion will enhance the display. The exhibition runs through September 2, 2024.