Whether it was Kim squeezing into the Marilyn dress or Blake Lively transforming her outfit on the red carpet itself as a tribute to the Statue of Liberty, by now you’ve probably seen something, somewhere (or everywhere) on your socials about the 2022 Met Gala.
On the first Monday in May each year occurs the biggest event on the fashion calendar, aka; The Met Gala. Last Monday, over 5.1 million viewers tuned in to the E! Livestream, as Hollywood’s biggest names stepped out onto the red carpet to show off their take on this year’s theme; gilded glamour.
But aside from all the hype and glam, Vogue’s Met Gala is in fact one of the biggest marketing machines in the industry. But before we get into it, a moment for Kendall Jenner’s dress:
The very first Met Gala was hosted in 1948, and it wasn’t until 1995 when Anna Wintour, the current chief editor of Vogue, stepped into the chairmanship of the institute, did the world really start to turn an eye to the big event. Today, the grand staircase to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (where the Met is hosted), is a place for luxury brands and designers to show off their best work.
Unlike the Grammy’s or the Academy Awards, the Met is not televised, but rather relies on social media content and live stream’s to tease the event to the world. What happens beyond the red carpet must stay exclusive to the attendees (apart from Kylie Jenner’s famous bathroom mirror selfie), which has left consumers craving for as much content as they can possibly get from all the action on the red carpet, before the doors close to the public eye.
The eagerness from consumers and prying eyes create numerous opportunities for not just luxury designer brands, but for any brand in the industry looking to capitalise on the marketing power of the Met.
For the designer luxury brands, this is their chance to partner with and dress some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Whether it’s Gucci dressing Harry Styles the year he hosted, or Balenciaga partnering with Kim for her memorable outfit, this is their chance to get the world talking about their brand and carry this hype through to the following season of fashion.
For other brands in the industry worth their salt, they will be leveraging on the opportunity to transport the best looks from the Met as an inspiration for looks and styles for High Street fashion. Not just that, but there are opportunities for sponsorships for the Met as well. In the past, sponsors included Apple, H&M and Warner Bros. Even if it’s just involving your brand in the hype of the Met Gala by talking about it on your socials, it’s a key way to stay relevant and connected with consumers in this day and age of competing with pop culture to win the consumer.
The are benefits for attendees as well. Back in 2005, after the notable Olsen twins; Mary-Kate and Ashley attended their very first Met Gala, what was to follow was them both becoming huge names in the luxury fashion world, as well as the launch of their own label ‘The Row’ less than a year later.
If you’re now itching to get a ticket to this glamorous, marketing machine of an event, unfortunately tickets are around $30,000 (or $275,000 for a table) and Anna herself needs to select you onto the list. But not to worry, the marketing mechanics behind the Met Gala are so powerful, you won’t miss a beat.
Until the next Met, let’s leave you with a moment from the powerhouse behind it all, Anna Wintour at this year’s Met:
Written By Steph Rozario
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