A Night to Remember

Hosted under the theme "Threads of Time: Fashion Through Cultures," the Met Gala 2025 drew celebrities, designers, and influencers from around the world. The red carpet was a kaleidoscope of global aesthetics—from East Asian embroidery to African beadwork and Indigenous motifs—reinterpreted by top fashion houses.

Standout looks included:

• Zendaya, who stunned in a fusion sari-gown hybrid by Rahul Mishra.

• Timothée Chalamet, donning a sleek tunic suit inspired by Ottoman royalty.

• Rihanna, who once again stole the show in a feathered tribute to Andean highland tradition.

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A New Record

The $31 million raised this year marks the highest in the Met Gala’s history, surpassing the previous record of $26 million set in 2022. Proceeds will fund exhibitions, acquisitions, and educational programs at the Costume Institute.

Anna Wintour, who has chaired the gala since 1995, credited the success to "a renewed global interest in cultural identity through fashion, and the support of the artists and patrons who believe in preserving that legacy."

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Why It Mattered

This year's gala wasn’t just about glamour. It pushed the fashion industry to acknowledge its complex relationship with cultural heritage and appropriation. Designers were challenged to collaborate with artisans from the cultures they were representing fostering both creativity and responsibility.

Fashion critics praised the event for being more than a spectacle. As Vanessa Friedman wrote, “It felt like a conversation, not just a costume party.”