Andrew Rossi directed The First Monday in May, the documentary about Vogue’s Met Gala exhibition.
Released in 2016, the film follows the planning of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2015 Costume Institute exhibition, China: Through the Looking Glass. It documents the work of curator Andrew Bolton, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, designers, museum staff, and exhibition specialists.
The title refers to the traditional date of the Costume Institute Benefit, commonly known as the Met Gala. The film shows how a museum exhibition and a major celebrity fundraising event are coordinated, including the competing priorities of scholarship, fashion presentation, publicity, and attendance.
The documentary is sometimes confused with The September Issue, which was directed by R. J. Cutler and focuses on the production of American Vogue’s September magazine. The First Monday in May instead centers on the Costume Institute and its exhibition process.