Vogue follows two top models to the Met Gala 2010 and reveals the backstage preparations for the party—the biggest night in the fashion industry.
In the two weeks leading up to the Costume Institute Gala—also known simply as the Met Gala to insiders—New York sizzles. The benefit, held annually at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, is co-chaired by American Vogue and is to the fashion world what the Oscars are to Hollywood, especially when it comes to the red carpet. The difference is that instead of actors and directors, the main focus here is on models and designers. Securing an invitation is no small feat: you are either exceptionally influential and invited as a guest at someone’s table, or you have deep pockets. The coveted individual tickets average around $7,500, while tables cost up to $250,000, with all proceeds supporting the museum’s Costume Institute. It is an investment, considering multimillion-dollar deals are brokered at the party, and the who’s who of fashion is in attendance. Everyone wants their turn on the most scrutinized red carpet in the world.
As an agent in the women’s board at Elite Model Management in New York, representing clients such as Alessandra Ambrosio and Charlotte Kemp Muhl (who is engaged to musician Sean Lennon), I witness this high-stakes fashion frenzy up close. The models invited by designers to sit at their tables have the distinct advantage: they are dressed by the fashion houses directly and do not pay for tickets. Leading up to the event, the agency’s phones ring off the hook with inquiries from designers, hairstylists, and makeup artists eager to collaborate. Once the designer pairings are established, creative teams assemble for styling briefings centered around the annual theme. This year’s exhibition, American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity, runs through August 15. Looks are selected and tailored around the model’s silhouette, current color palettes, and upcoming runway trends. The priority is not merely avant-garde experimentation, but effortless elegance.
A week before the gala, countless emails circulate with lookbooks, jewelry options, and makeup references. After extensive deliberations, the selection narrows to roughly ten gowns and twenty pairs of shoes. By the weekend before Monday’s event, the models touch down in New York—often straight from back-to-back international shoots, running on minimal sleep, with immediate fittings on the schedule. By Saturday morning, the choice is down to the final three looks. Inevitably, the favorite might require significant alterations, much like last year with Michelle Alves, who was pregnant at the time and required emergency tailoring across a Sunday—a logistical challenge even in Manhattan. Once the final gown is locked, attention turns to fine jewelry and accessories.
On the day of the event, the pressure peaks. Publicists manage the minute-by-minute schedule: hair and makeup call times, private car dispatch, and exact arrival windows at the Metropolitan Museum steps to ensure maximum press coverage. Red-carpet positioning is crucial. Arriving alongside an A-list Hollywood couple can dilute press attention, whereas posing alongside fellow industry figures and designers generates high-value syndicated imagery for global publications. Beyond the styling, presence matters: every smile, gesture, and arrival photo is recorded and distributed internationally within minutes. The right dress paired with poise creates instant buzz, and landing on the best-dressed lists almost certainly guarantees a return invitation next year.
Article originally featured in Vogue Brazil, June 2010.
