The first Monday in May is “Fashion’s Biggest Night,” welcoming thousands of celebrities, editors, stylists, and more to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art for occasions that never fail to go viral.
Hosted by American Vogue’s Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour, the Met Gala is an annual affair overwhelmed by global glitterati. Every year, the Met Gala celebrates a new exhibit at the Costume Institute, recently revealing that the Spring 2024 display is titled Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.
Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion will be open to the public after the Met Gala has ended, welcoming guests from May 10 to September 2, 2024. The showcase will display 250 rare gowns packed with history from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection. The items date back to the 17th century and can never be worn again, designed by world-class luxury Houses. From first-year Christian Dior to timeless classics by Elsa Schiaparelli, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion is assembled by British curator Andrew Bolton.
The theme has pushed forward an interesting debate: is the 2024 Met Gala theme a subtle jab at reality star and multi-faceted entrepreneur Kim Kardashian? 1 of 2
Greg Swales2 of 2
Greg Swales
The 43-year-old media personality famously wore Marilyn Monroe’s 1962 “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress during the 2023 Met Gala red carpet. The speculation comes after Kardashian made her best efforts to squeeze into the petite dress that hasn’t been worn in decades, holding a high position in fashion history. Her dramatic transformation was highly anticipated, falling in line with last year’s Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty hook. The exhibition celebrated Lagerfeld’s seven-decade-long career and honored his passing with 150 original looks.
Monroe’s rhinestone-encrusted dress drew eyes far and wide, growing concern for its delicate craftsmanship and extraordinary figure. The SKIMS founder took a deep dive into American history, wishing to portray an unforgettable moment in modern times. A rigorous diet and 14-hour hair transformation were implemented before the big day, showing her boundless commitment to Monroe’s extensive legacy. 
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While she grasped international attention, Kardashian was ultimately met with ruthless critiques from fashion historians and specialists alike. After the Met Gala concluded, images surfaced of the sequined dress with rear tears and fallen crystals that left the garment disheveled. Scott Fortner, the owner of the largest private collection of Marilyn Monroe’s archive, alleged that the dress was “literally hanging on by threads” and revealed a detailed image shared by a visitor at Ripley’s Believe it Or Not Museum in Hollywood, California.
While special care was taken to prevent damage to the dress, the item tightly clung to Kardashian’s body, leaving her with minimal mobility. Concerns were raised by the Costume Institute’s staff shortly after the Met Gala, seeing the original designer Bob Mackie, and curators Sarah Scaturro and Chaédria LaBouvier criticize the Metropolitan Museum of Art for allowing Kardashian to wear the historical artifact. 
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum
The Spring 2024 Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion exhibition upholds that fragile garments must be preserved at all costs, reinstating that the 250 dresses on display must never be worn again. The theme continues to expand on Kardashian’s disputed outfit, restricting her from making the same mistake twice. Onlookers far and wide are speculating that the new theme targets the star’s previous mistakes, outlining that her studded dress was a grandiose failure. Her disrespect toward historical dress was evident left and right, causing an uproar for preserving historic moments that have come and gone.Whether it is a direct jab at her previous wrongdoings is yet to be known, but it definitely is a subtle throw that can’t be ignored.
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