New York City hosts Vogue’s annual Met Gala, formally known as the Costume Institute Benefit.
The event takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan and raises money for the museum’s Costume Institute. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has chaired the gala since 1995, making the magazine closely associated with the event’s modern public image.
Each gala is linked to a theme connected with the Costume Institute’s exhibition. Guests, including designers, entertainers, athletes, and public figures, often wear specially commissioned or theme-related clothing on the red carpet.
The Met Gala is sometimes mistakenly described as a Paris or London fashion event because it attracts international designers and celebrities. Its venue, however, is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The gala is also distinct from ordinary fashion-week shows, which take place in several cities and follow different schedules.