The Met Gala at the Costume Institute has always been a most fashionable affair. It was founded in 1948 by Eleanor Lambert (also the woman behind New York Fashion Week, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and the International Best Dressed List), before it was managed by Diana Vreeland in the ’70s, who elevated the fabulous factor with her signature pizzazz. In 1995 Anna Wintour took over and in the three decades since she has turned it into the most successful of fundraising events—not to mention one of the most glamorous and most-watched parties by people around the world.
Last year, I went deep into the Getty Image archives to unearth some of the funnest, grooviest photos from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, a time before stylists when everyone was just getting dressed to have a good time. Ahead of this year’s celebration for “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” I thought I’d pick up where I left off, in the year 2000–except that year the show was cancelled due to some internal disagreements over the exhibition. (There was also no Met Gala in 2002 following the events of 9/11.) The gala finally resumed as normal in 2003 and in 2005, it finally landed on its official “first Monday in May” calendar slot.
Although the 2000s feel “close” to now, the images showcase a world deeply different from our current one—the decade starts with the low-key feeling of the ’90s and although the looks start becoming more capital-F fashion as years roll on, it all still feels remarkably carefree. Remember this was a time before Instagram, before anything and everything became ripe for content. Scroll through to see some of our favorite Met Gala moments from 2000 to 2009, the last time people were just vibing and living in the moment.
2001: “Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years”
2003: “Goddess: The Classical Mode”
2004: “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century”
2005: “The House of Chanel”
2006: “AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion”
2007: “Poiret: King of Fashion”
2008: “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy”
2009: “The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion”
