Maritess De Ocampo

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Vintage Corset Photo by Shuxuan Cao

<p>The Met Gala was never conceptualized for celebrity spectacle. Beyond the red carpet is a decades-long higher purpose to fund art, preservation, and cultural storytelling through the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A deeper look explores how fashion’s biggest night has turned into one of the most influential fundraising platforms in the world and why we may have forgotten what the gala’s true purpose is for.  </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:655px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1778070040697pexels-charles-parker-5845473.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Metropolitan Museum, New York City | Photo by </em><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/exterior-of-classic-building-on-square-5845473/"><em>Charles Parker</em></a></span></span></span></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Each year on the first Monday of the month of May, the world comes to a halt, to watch celebrities ascend the Met Gala steps in elaborate displays of fashion and self-expression. But beyond the spectacle and opulence, the evening also marks the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual spring exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. </p><p>The gala actually began decades back as a modest midnight supper known as “The Party of the Year.”  It all started in 1948 with esteemed publicity doyenne Eleanor Lambert who had a simple goal: to raise funds to support the newly established Costume Institute.  </p><p>It would then escalate into one of the most photographed events in the world. </p><p>The annual fundraiser has evolved from a society dinner into a cultural phenomenon, through the influence of acclaimed fashion editor, Diana Vreeland, who is credited for helping elevate the museum exhibitions into theatrical experiences. </p><div><br/></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/people-culture-events/2026/5/5/in-photos-top-five-moments-from-the-met-gala-1203" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Related Story: IN PHOTOS: Top five moments from the Met Gala</a></div><div><br/></div><p>Then stepped in Trustee Anna Wintour who took the helm annually as co-chair since 1995, (except for 1996 and 1998) expanding the Met Gala beyond what even the fashion insiders could have envisioned. Since then, the event has become a powerful confluence of celebrity and pop culture as well as luxury branding and media coverage. It has evolved into one of the most high-profile charity events bringing in influential figures spanning fashion, film, music, sports, business, and society. Tickets today are said to cost tens of thousands of dollars, a far cry from the $50 ticket at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in 1948. Fashion houses supposedly spend generously on tables and to dress celebrities in exchange for headlines and online visibility.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:655px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1778070512169pexels-ameliacui-14501441.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Interior view of the Metropolitan Museum of Art | Photo by </em><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/interior-of-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-14501441/"><em>Amelia Cui</em></a></span></span></span></div><p>But behind all the glamour, glitz, and exclusivity is a single practical purpose of funding the Costume Institute’s work that includes annual exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, and operations. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the gala serves as the Costume Institute’s primary source of annual funding. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>From Met Gala to Tech Gala </strong></div><p>Given the extravagant couture gowns worn by global stars and billionaires, critics say that the Met Gala is tone-deaf and disconnected from reality. Ironically, the very subject of criticism—the spectacle—is precisely what sustains the institution. And the Met Gala exists because attention is currency. Celebrities, fashion houses, and media companies understand how valuable that attention is. One viral image or reel can help fund an entire exhibition. A powerful headline can contribute to preserving a historic garment. Celebrity appearances may spark public interest in design and fashion history in ways that traditional museum campaigns will struggle to achieve.  </p><p>What appears superficial also operates as a form of cultural fundraising structure. Perhaps the disdain around the Met Gala stems from how an ostentatious fashion display is perceived as frivolous and unnecessary. Even more so when associated with luxury or excessive consumption and celebrity culture. And for the 2026 Met Gala, the involvement of the Bezos&#x27;s, which the term &quot;Tech Gala&quot; has been attributed to. The disconnect is, museums such as the Costume Institute approach fashion in a different way. Garments are treated as historical documentation, not simply as trend or commerce.  </p><div> </div><div><strong>A cultural gateway  </strong></div><p>Because clothes can tell stories about power, gender, identity, class, migration, politics, labor, craftsmanship, and technology, they can also reveal as much about a historical period as a painting or photograph. Fashion preservation then becomes cultural preservation. When a garment is archived, what’s being preserved is the context it came from, such as, who wore it, who created it, and what it meant during that time or era.</p><p>The Costume Institute’s exhibitions become opportunities to dive deep into vast social conversations. The Met Gala is the opening act that invites the world’s attention to such exhibitions.  </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:655px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1778072292370pexels-maotuizhutuzi-5326764.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Vintage corsets on display at a historical museum exhibition | Photo by </em><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-historical-corsets-on-mannequin-in-showcase-5326764/"><em>Shuxuan Cao</em></a></span></span></span></div><p>For the younger online audience particularly, these high-profile red carpet moments are often their first contact with fashion history and museum culture. What could have begun as a meme may lead to discoveries such as a textile tradition or an exhibition theme that they may not have ever gotten wind of otherwise. In this way, the Met Gala then serves initially as entertainment and ultimately as a cultural gateway.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Lost in translation </strong></div><p>And yet, the original and higher purpose of the Met Gala has become increasingly blurred from the public’s point of view. More often, the perception of the event comes entirely from social media such as best and worst dressed rankings, reaction videos, and celebrities’ posts. The fundraising aspect is usually mentioned in passing if it is even acknowledged at all, making the true mission of the gala almost non-existent online.</p><p>No wonder the event has been criticized more and more over the years. Since audiences have only witnessed excess and exclusivity without full context, the gala would naturally be perceived as shallow and meaningless for some. In many ways, the Met Gala as consumed through the social media lens has magnified the existing cultural tensions surrounding celebrity influence and privilege of wealth.</p><div><br/></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/health-beauty-fashion/2026/5/5/stars-shine-at-met-gala-fashion-s-biggest-night-0829?_gl=1*g02z70*_ga*MTEyODcyMTExMS4xNzc0MzQ1NTI0*_ga_8DR8G5QGJ6*czE3NzgwMzczNzkkbzQ3JGcxJHQxNzc4MDM4MDkwJGoxMCRsMCRoMA">RELATED STORY: Stars shine at Met Gala, fashion&#x27;s biggest night </a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Adapting to an attention economy </strong></div><p>It is interesting to explore how the Met Gala has survived through the decades. Could it be that the institution learned how to adapt to an attention economy while navigating modern media culture? Beyond glamour perhaps the Met Gala continues to succeed at its fundraising because it understands a fundamental concept about contemporary culture, which is, human beings connect with stories before they engage with institutions. This is because storytelling resonates more deeply than institutional messaging.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:655px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1778071107686pexels-damanory-14386364.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>The Met Cloisters Tower | Photo by </em><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/the-met-cloisters-in-new-york-14386364/"><em>Noriely Fernandez</em></a></span></span></span>In 2026, individual tickets reportedly reached $100,000 while tables started at $350,000, helping the event raise a record $42 million for the Costume Institute. </div><p>But are the record-breaking numbers alone the metrics for success? As the Met Gala becomes more visibly commercialized, with critics referring to this year&#x27;s event as the &quot;Tech Gala,&quot; has it lost the cultural relevance and artistic spirit it originally carried?</p>

<p>Millions watch the annual Met Gala for fashion and celebrity appearances. But beyond these viral moments and spectacle lies the event’s original intent, which is to raise funds for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.</p>

Millions watch the annual Met Gala for fashion and celebrity appearances. But beyond these viral moments and spectacle lies the event’s original intent, which is to raise funds for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Behind the Met Gala spectacle: The real reason it exists

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Behind the Met Gala spectacle: The real reason it exists

Mawi Fojas De Ocampo

Published May 06, 2026 07:54 PM PHT

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Updated May 07, 2026 08:21 AM PHT

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Fashion Is Art

Met Gala

Met Gala 2026

Costume Institute

Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Anna Wintour

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Fashion Culture

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