The Met Gala has built its way to the top of pop culture’s “Who’s Who” game, despite the event’s humble beginnings. According to Women’s Wear Daily, in 1948 fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert was looking for a way to raise money to support a dress institute. The Met Gala was Lambert’s fundraising solution and the cause remains the pinnacle of the Met Gala today.
Two years before the Met Gala’s inaugural event, the Metropolitan Museum of Art took over the Costume Institute and put it under programming. Lambert – In 1962 she created the Council of Fashion Designers of America – using her entrepreneurial skills to plan a formal dinner to support the Costume Institute at $50 per ticket. Anyone who could attend at the time could purchase a ticket. That’s definitely a big difference from today’s special guest list!
Originally hosted in December in anticipation of a new exhibition at the Costume Institute, Lambert’s Met Gala has gradually evolved into New York’s high society fundraising event. The Met Gala, which has been held at various locations, found its home at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1971. Eventually, the event was handed over to Anna Wintour and moved to the first Monday in May. year.