The Met Gala 2018 theme has been released

The Costume Institute has recently released the theme of the Met Gala 2018 as Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination with a corresponding exhibition, opening in May 2018.

The exhibition prompts the gala of the same theme, often dubbed as the “fashion Oscars”, with a red carpet always walked by the crème de la crème of celebrities wearing the world’s most thought-provoking and interesting outfits.

The exhibition has been “designed to create a dialogue between fashion and the masterworks for religious art in the museum’s holdings.” With many shows consistently nodding to religious iconography, such as Dolce and Gabbana, the exhibition promises to be a wide-reaching conversation. Over 150 items have been borrowed from an abundance of designers such as Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, John Galliano and Dontella Versace.

Visitors of the exhibition can expect to visit three of New York’s iconic locations: the Anna Wintour Costume Centre, the Met’s Cloisters and the Met’s Fifth Avenue location. To many the most exciting item on display will be the papal garb – owned by the Sistine Chapel sacristy and never seen outside the Vatican.

However, for pop culture fanatics amongst us it may very well be the hosts of the gala who spark the most interest. Last year Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams who had the honour. Anna Wintour has chaired the event since 1995, but in 2018 her special consultants and co-hosts will be Amal Clooney, Donatella Versace and Met Gala centre piece, Rihanna. 

Ultimately, Andrew Bolton, Costume Institute curator in charge, intends to portray the intertwined, complex relationship between faith and fashion. He hopes to display how “material Christianity” has helped and influenced visualisations of “the Catholic imagination” and the fashion that has come out as a result of this relationship.

With guests at the gala expected to dress in tune with the exhibition theme, we can wait in anticipation until 30^th April 2018 for our Instagram feeds to be filled with glamour and glitz.

Eleanor Oaten