The Met Gala, also known as the Costume Institute Benefit or the Met Ball, is an eagerly anticipated annual fundraising event that benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. This extraordinary gala has become a celebrated occasion in the world of fashion, drawing celebrities, designers, and fashion industry insiders from around the globe. As the illustrious fashion journalist, Suzy Menkes, once said, "The Met Ball is a mix of the absurd and the sublime – which is exactly what fashion is." The first Met Gala was held in 1948 as a midnight supper hosted by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert to raise funds for the Costume Institute. This event became an annual tradition thereafter, but it wasn't until 1971 that it was officially christened the Costume Institute Benefit or the Met Ball. In 1995, the venerable fashion designer, Anna Wintour, became the co-chair of the event. Under her leadership, the Met Gala became synonymous with extra...