The Met Gala, hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, May 5, is an annual fundraising event in honor of the museum’s Costume Institute and spring exhibition. 

Every year, brands invite celebrities to celebrate fashion by dressing up in elaborate outfits that match that year’s theme, at least in theory.  

This year, the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” commemorates Black fashion, specifically Black dandyism. The exhibition is broken into 12 sections observing different aspects of the Black dandyism movement like cosmopolitanism, heritage and freedom.

Over the years, the event has faced its fair share of controversy, from outfits that don’t align with the theme to lackluster showings from male celebrities to a general frustration with celebrity opulence.

To get a sense of how the University of Minnesota campus feels about the event, the opinions desk put out a poll, and our social media team took to the streets to interview students.

The results were varied, to say the least.

When asked their thoughts on this year’s theme by our social media team, Nelson, a psychology student, said they are excited for the event and appreciate the focus on Black style.

“I’m excited to see what all the famous people of color are gonna do with this because, usually, I feel like it’s kinda just about white people,” Nelson said. 

Sena Budimlic, a third-year English student, said she likes the change of pace from previous Met Gala themes.

“I think this theme is really interesting, and it seems like it’s a little outside of the typical norms for a Met Gala theme,” Budimlic said. “I think it could be a great opportunity to celebrate and showcase black designers and fashion.”

Crow Wilkins, a second-year animal science student, said the theme is promising but is unsure whether the celebrities in attendance will pull it off.

“It seems interesting,” Wilkins said. “I wonder how people will navigate Black Dandyism and cultural history rooted in a fight against history. I feel like a lot of the people there don’t even have a concept of oppression.”

Skepticism regarding looks from white attendees in particular was a common sentiment among respondents.

Like first-year PhD student Savannah Jenkins, who said she worries about how some celebrities may interpret the theme.

“I am pre-mortified for a lot of tone deaf looks that will inevitably come out of this,” Jenkins said.

Gage Tratz, a Minnesota Daily and psychology student alum, put it simply.

“It has so much potential, both for stunning fashion moments and stunning gaffes,” Tratz said.

Multiple students said they looked forward to seeing Colman Domingo, who will be co-chairing the event along with Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

When asked what celebrities they look forward to seeing, Nelson said, “Doja Cat. She always kills.”

Zana, an English student, said she looks forward to seeing Zendaya’s look, shouting out Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach.

“Law Roach eats her up every single time,” Zana said. “She always has good outfits.”

Truer words have never been spoken.

Historically, I have been disappointed by the male attendees. This year, since the theme is based around a menswear movement, I hope the men will be held to a higher standard of creativity.

When asked about the Met Gala’s annual themes, students looked back on the iconic fashion moments and misses of previous years.

Wilkins said he enjoyed 2019’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” but was generally disappointed by the celebrity showing.

“2019’s ‘Camp’ looks cool, because Lady Gaga understood the assignment,” Wilkins said. “For the most part, I feel like none of the guests even pay attention to the theme and just come in whatever they want.”

Tratz, however, said he is partial to 2018’s gala.

“Nothing beats ‘Heavenly Bodies,’” Tratz said.

Opinions on the gala ranged across the students surveyed. Some appreciated the gala’s goal of highlighting high fashion, while others felt uncomfortable at the exorbitant displays of wealth. 

Lynn Tanaka, an administrative specialist at the University, said the event is out of touch with real-world issues.

“Do we need yet another celebrity event where they waste millions of dollars feeding their ego?” Tanaka said. “In this political environment, it seems wasteful and the money spent on outfits could go towards supporting the ACLU or other worthy organizations that are taking a hit now.”

This perspective is understandable, considering many outfits featured cost more money than some of us will see in our lifetimes. It’s especially frustrating considering the demoralizing state of the economy.

However, it is equally important to recognize the importance of arts funding. After all, the Met Gala is a fundraiser in support of a museum that does important work for preserving fashion history. 

Jenkins said she wishes the gala focused more on the fashion itself, rather than the celebrity attendees.

“I love the intent, I hate a lot of the outcomes,” Jenkins said. “I think fashion should be celebrated, not the celebrities.”

Budimlic said she has a love/hate relationship with the event.

“I love fashion and I love seeing people there who actually care about fashion, coming up with extraordinary outfits,” Budimlic said. “However, I do feel like it’s a little bit dystopian to watch the ultra-rich and famous flaunt their wealth and power to a degree that most of us can’t even imagine. But high fashion will be high fashion, and I still think it’s beautiful.”

Nina Mirfakhraie, a third-year chemical engineering student, said that although the gala can be frustrating, they enjoy the spectacle of it regardless.

“It’s kind of just another way for celebrities to flex their wealth and status,” Mirfakhraie said. “But the pictures are always fun, so I prefer it to a lot of other ways they might choose to express their wealth.”

With all this focus on the Met Gala as an important moment for celebrity culture, it’s easy to forget the reasons the event exists in the first place. At a time when conservationist institutions like museums and the arts at large are under attack, it’s not frivolous to pay attention to an event that puts a spotlight on avant-garde fashion. 

Whatever your thoughts on the Met Gala, the event is sure to break the internet as always, with beautiful looks and perhaps more beautiful flops. I can’t wait to obsessively check my phone during lecture to see if Rihanna will show up.