Met Gala 2024 Dress Code The Garden Of Time - As 'Melancholy' Takes Over, Will Celebs Ditch Hues?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has declared the dress code and co-chairs of the upcoming Met Gala. On the first monday of May, Met Gala co-chairs Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour will welcome guests to the museum for an exhibition entitled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” And the dress code for the biggest fashion event of the year has been announced as The Garden of Time.

What does the dress code The Garden of Time mean?

The theme takes its title from a 1962 short story written by British author J. G. Ballard, who is most known for his works like The Empire of the Sun and Crash. To understand the theme, it is important to know about the story. The tale is about Count Axel and his wife, the Countess, in their own utopian bubble of leisure, art, and beauty. Their villa overlooks a garden of crystalline flowers with translucent leaves and crystals at the heart of every bloom.

Beyond the walls of Count Axel’s villa, a chaotic mob draws nearer every hour. To restore tranquility, the Count must pluck a time-reversing flower from his garden until there are none left. The story ends with the mob entering the villa, now a dilapidated property with a neglected garden, in which a statue of the Count and his Countess stand entangled in thorny belladonna plants.

While the dress code leaves a lot to the interpretation of the guests, there certainly would be a melancholy associated with the clothes, rather than big, bright, moody blooms. A literal interpretation, where crystal flowers make it to the red carpet in the form of accessories or outfits is also possible.

What is the theme of Met Gala? How are the theme and dress code related?

The theme of 2024 Met Gala exhibition is “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” which will run at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from May 10 to September 2. The theme has nothing to do with the Disney tale of the same name and everything to do with the fashion pieces, that are so delicate that they cannot be displayed over mannequins. The vintage pieces, some even from the 17th century, will be kept in glass cases for the visitors to see.

The Garden of Time and Sleeping Beauties - both call for the guests to recreate vintage looks, inspired by the wheels of time. Modern silhouettes with vintage prints or archival looks from legendary designers could very well be in the spotlight on this year’s red carpet.