Recapping the 2024 Met Gala

Summary

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Podcast Summary: All Of It – Recapping the 2024 Met Gala

Host: Tiffany Hansen (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Vanessa Friedman, Chief Fashion Critic, New York Times
Date: May 7, 2024
Main Theme:
An engaging breakdown of the 2024 Met Gala, exploring its theme (“The Garden of Time”), notable fashion moments, the evolution of red carpet styles, and what the event represents in culture and fashion.

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Overview

This episode recaps the 2024 Met Gala, focusing on how attendees interpreted the “Garden of Time” theme, standout red carpet moments, memorable looks from both women and men, and reflections on the changing culture of the event. Vanessa Friedman offers expert commentary on the intention, impact, and spectacle of the evening, fielding questions from listeners and engaging in witty, insightful discussion with host Tiffany Hansen.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The 2024 Met Gala Theme: “The Garden of Time”

• Expectations and Interpretations
  • Vanessa Friedman anticipated “a lot of florals” and hoped for vintage interpretations reflecting the passage of time, inspired by the J.G. Ballard short story behind the theme, but saw that only a few guests really followed this concept deeply.

    “I was expecting a lot of florals and that did in fact turn out to be the case. I was hoping for a lot of vintage inspired by the idea of time. That turned out to be not so much the case.” — Vanessa Friedman [03:04]

2. Who 'Understood the Assignment’?

• Bad Bunny (co-chair, Maison Margiela):
  • His look mimicked the aristocratic count from Ballard’s story, carrying black roses and donning a count-like presence.
• Tyla (Balmain):
  • Her dress symbolized the sand in an hourglass—“a very imaginative interpretation of the theme.”
• Zendaya (co-chair):
  • Notably executed the time/vintage brief with two dramatic looks:
    • First: Maison Margiela couture by John Galliano (aquatic, fantastical, “tinged with another world”).
    • Second: Givenchy couture dress from 1996 (by Galliano, the same year Zendaya was born), hitting the theme’s ‘time’ element precisely.
    • Vanessa praises Zendaya’s creative partnership with stylist Law Roach.

    “She absolutely did [understand the vintage assignment]… they’ve been, you know, always, I think, extremely creative.” — Vanessa Friedman [06:07]

3. Red Carpet Evolution: More Restrained or Just Different?

• Past v. Present:
  • Compared to previous extravaganzas—like Rihanna as the Pope or Katy Perry as a chandelier—this year offered more ‘restrained’ looks, though ‘restraint’ is relative.

    “I think restraint is a very funny word to use in terms of the Met Gala, which usually feels like the most unrestrained evening of the year…” — Vanessa Friedman [08:48]

  • The shift was seen as a possible, needed ‘reset’ after years of outsized, meme-worthy costumes.

4. The ‘Naked’ Trend and Meme Culture

• Despite a toned-down atmosphere, “naked” looks persisted:
  • Notable examples: Rita Ora (Marnie necklace and bodysuit), Doja Cat (wet T-shirt dress), Greta Lee (sheer lace Loewe), Elle Fanning (Balmain saran wrap look).
• Vanessa notes, “There is a certain amount of meme baiting that happens at the Met.” [10:08]

5. Spotlight on Designers and Fabrication

• Harris Reed and Demi Moore:
  • Demi’s look featured “repurposed vintage wallpaper,” cleverly melding florals and vintage themes. Both she and designer Harris Reed walked the carpet together—an unusual occurrence.

    “Demi was actually wearing a look that started with vintage repurposed vintage wallpaper… He [Harris Reed] was definitely trying to touch on both the idea of vintage and the idea of florals.” — Vanessa Friedman [10:58]

6. Menswear Moments

• Standout Men’s Looks:
  • Lil Nas X (Luar), Colman Domingo (Willy Chavaria) — “definitely made a statement.”
  • Meanwhile, some men (Donald Glover, Chris Hemsworth) opted for more relaxed, pared-back styles (e.g., unbuttoned shirts, ivory tuxes).
• Jeremy Strong (Succession):
  • Wore Loro Piana—“the epitome of stealth wealth”—continuing the brand’s association with his character on Succession.

    “He apparently was still flying the flag.” — Vanessa Friedman [12:13]

7. Met Gala Mechanics and Social Rituals

• Who Pays to Attend?
  • Celebrities usually attend as guests of fashion brands (who buy tables); however, they’re free to donate as individuals.

    “When celebrities attend the Met, they attend as guests of a brand... the brand has bought the table and they are sitting at the table. They are free to donate...and I think many of them do because this year, we just learned the gala brought in a record $26 million.” — Vanessa Friedman [12:56]

• Red Carpet Logistics:
  • Guests sometimes change out of oversized, elaborate costumes for comfort or after-parties, but there’s “a lot of commitment to a look that happens at the Met.”
  • Once inside, no social media or reporting is allowed—mystique remains part of the tradition.

    “Once people go into the dinner, there is no social media and there is no reporting. So what goes on in the dinner stays in the dinner.” — Vanessa Friedman [14:20]

8. The New Cultural Icons

• Zendaya as the New Rihanna?
  • Rihanna missed the event due to illness, spurring discussion about the evolving roster of Met Gala icons. Vanessa acknowledges Zendaya’s growing status as a “culture shaper.”

    “…I think there’s no question that Zendaya is becoming one of those culture shapers.” — Vanessa Friedman [15:12]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Theme Interpretation:

  “I was hoping for a lot of vintage inspired by the idea of time. That turned out to be not so much the case.” — Vanessa Friedman [03:04]

• Zendaya’s Style:

  “She absolutely did [understand the vintage assignment].” — Vanessa Friedman [06:07]

• On Restraint:

  “I think restraint is a very funny word to use in terms of the Met Gala…” — Vanessa Friedman [08:48]

• On ‘Naked’ Looks:

  “There is a certain amount of meme baiting that happens at the Met.” — Vanessa Friedman [10:08]

• On Event Mystique:

  “…there is no social media and there is no reporting. So what goes on in the dinner stays in the dinner.” — Vanessa Friedman [14:20]

• On Zendaya’s Cultural Status:

  “I think there’s no question that Zendaya is becoming one of those culture shapers.” — Vanessa Friedman [15:12]

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Key Timestamps

• [02:04] Introduction & Purpose of the Met Gala
• [03:04] Expectations versus reality of the “Garden of Time” theme
• [04:46] Zendaya’s double red carpet moment
• [06:25] Law Roach and Zendaya’s fashion partnership
• [07:04] Discussion of Kim Kardashian’s corseting and the return of extreme shaping
• [08:48] The evolution and partial ‘reset’ in Gala style
• [09:51] Persistence of ‘naked’ looks despite changing trends
• [10:58] Harris Reed and Demi Moore’s collaborative appearance
• [11:39] Men’s fashion highlights
• [12:56] Fundraising mechanics and who pays
• [13:31] Social rituals and the mystique of post-red carpet events
• [14:52] Zendaya’s new pop culture standing in the wake of Rihanna’s absence

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Conclusion

The episode offers a spirited, expert-led examination of the 2024 Met Gala’s shifting fashion landscape, the creative successes (and excesses) of the night, and cultural undercurrents shaping one of the world’s most famous red carpets. Vanessa Friedman’s insider analysis, paired with listener questions and host commentary, makes this recap vivid and accessible even for those who missed the event itself.

Transcript

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[Vanessa Friedman]

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[Tiffany Hansen]

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[Tiffany Hansen]

This is all of it. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart. Yesterday was the 1st of May, which means it was fashion's equivalent of the Super Bowl. The Met Gala last night, the exclusive invite only event tightly controlled by Vogue's Anna Wintour. It's a spectacle of celebrity and sparkle and, yes, excess. And everyone who's anyone, at least anyone to Anna Wintour, expects to be on or at least wants to be on the guest list. Whether they say it or not, all of this glamour does deserve, does serve rather a purpose. Essentially, it's a potent fundraiser for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which aims to preserve fashion and history, fashion history throughout the ages. Joining us to talk about the night, the themes who ruled the red carpet is Vanessa Friedman. She's the chief fashion critic for the New York Times. Welcome back to the show Vanessa, nice.

[Vanessa Friedman]

To be with you.

[Tiffany Hansen]

So the looks were intended to be inspired by the theme, the Garden of Time. Before we get into what we actually saw, what were you expecting to see?

[Vanessa Friedman]

I was expecting a lot of florals and that did in fact turn out to be the case. I was hoping for a lot of vintage inspired by the idea of time. That turned out to be not so much the case. And I was interested to see if anyone actually read the short story that that theme comes derives from. Right. It's actually the title of a Ballard short story from 1962, which I think is really about the death of the aristocracy, but I think only a few guests actually went that far.

[Tiffany Hansen]

And who would those guests be that you think really took the assignment seriously?

[Vanessa Friedman]

Well, it seemed like Bad Bunny, who was one of the co hosts and was dressed in Maison Margiela, was maybe dressed to mimic the. The male character at the heart of the story, who's a count. He looked sort of count, like he was carrying black flowers, black roses. And, you know, I was. I thought that actually the. The balman look worn by Tyla, where she was kind of dressed like the sand in an hourglass, was a very imaginative interpretation of the theme.

[Tiffany Hansen]

You mentioned Bad Bunny, one of the co chairs. The other co chairs were Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth. What does that title actually mean, co chair?

[Vanessa Friedman]

It's. I think it really means you arrive first and you. You pose for a lot of pictures. In Zendaya's case, it also meant you re arrived last, since she made two entrances. She opened and closed the red carpet in two different dresses. Yeah.

[Tiffany Hansen]

So tell us about those.

[Vanessa Friedman]

So she. She started out in a Maison Margiela couture dress by John Galliano, which had been made for her and was very much sort of aquatic and slightly not evil, but. But tinged with the idea of kind of another world. She had had some grapes on it, you know, she. She looked very sort of fantastical. And then her final dress was a Givenchy couture dress, also by John Galliano, from his first couture collection when he arrived in Paris, which is 1996, which was the year Zendaya was born. So with that one, she hit the time. The time element very effectively.

[Tiffany Hansen]

And that was the black one, Right?

[Vanessa Friedman]

That was the black one with the enormous train. It was inspired by, I think, Marchesa di Casati. You know, it was a very dramatic kind of Ancien regime look with this.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Beautiful head headpiece that had all. Yeah. With all of the flowers and looked heavy.

[Vanessa Friedman]

Right. That was by Philip Treacy, I believe, for Alexander McQueen, also vintage from 2007.

[Tiffany Hansen]

So she understood the vintage assignment.

[Vanessa Friedman]

She absolutely did. And her image, architect, Law Roach, who she works with, you know, they've been, you know, always, I think, extremely creative in terms of dress, whether it's on a movie promotional tour, as with challengers or Dune 2, or on the steps of the Met.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Listeners, do you have strong feelings about. Do you have strong feelings about the Met gala? Did you watch the red carpet proceedings last night? Do you have a particular look that you love, one that you actually really didn't love so much? You can reach us by phone. You can also text us. 212-433-9692. Call or text. You can also reach us on social, on social media at all of it. Wnyc. One of the looks that I would imagine we might, well, I, you know, we might get a text on Kim Kardashian. She had, she had a look.

[Vanessa Friedman]

She had a look. She had a waist. She had a waist that I think most people would not imagine ever existing in. In reality on any person. She had a very, very tiny waist.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Yeah. Explain what was happening there. That was like extreme corseting is what our producer Andrea called it. Extreme. That was extreme.

[Vanessa Friedman]

It was very extreme. It was directly from, again, a Margiela couture Runway, this time in January, where John Galliano had cinched all his models, men and women, into these, like, crazy hourglass shapes through corseting. And he had some pictures backstage on his mood board or back in the atelier on his mood board of the process of creating these corsets and fitting them on bodies. And, you know, there, there was bruising on the models bodies from this. But they had also been part of making it so for this kind of insane, slightly disturbing effect.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Not to mention the, the little sweater thing she was wearing. But that's okay. Some of the, some of the looks this year actually are a little, I would say, toned down compared to some of the looks from past years, which some critics have said was more like cosplay for rich people, you know, which just looked like completely over the top, why are we doing this to ourselves? Kind of looks. And I'm wondering how you see the evolution from previous years to this year. And was that intentional?

[Vanessa Friedman]

I think restraint is a very funny word to use in terms of the Met Gala, which usually feels like the most unrestrained evening of the year, at least in terms of dress. But certainly in comparison to recent galas, particularly pre Covid galas, this was a Restrained dressing occasion. There were clothes that appeared on the red carpet before shows like Camp or Heavenly Bodies that truly were kind of costuming to the greatest extent. You know, Rihanna arrived as the pope. Katy Perry arrived as a chandelier. She then became a hamburger. Nicki Minaj came as like a vulva. It was.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Friedman]

You know, there was a real question of whether we had reached kind of peak dress up and it was even possible to go farther. So in a way, something of a reset was probably a good idea.

[Tiffany Hansen]

We have a text here. I am so over the naked looks. Did we see a lot of that last night?

[Vanessa Friedman]

We did see a fair number of naked looks. I feel like we always see a fair number of naked looks. The most striking to me was Rita Ora in essentially a Marnie necklace of beads atop a bodysuit. We saw Doja Cat in a wet T shirt dress.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Right.

[Vanessa Friedman]

That had. That had been doused. We saw Greta Lee in a sort of sheer lace loewe dress with a frontispiece that went up above her mouth to her nose. So, you know, we saw Elle Fanning in what looked like Saran Wrap. Balmain. Saran Wrap. You know, it's. There is a certain amount of meme baiting that happens at the mouth. Right.

[Tiffany Hansen]

The old Saran Wrap look.

[Vanessa Friedman]

You know, they wear it so we don't have to.

[Tiffany Hansen]

That's right. Another text. Harris Reed and Demi, I guess Demi Moore we're talking about here. Both in Harris Reed. Rarely see a designer walk in their own work as well as they did. Any comments on Harris Reed and Demi?

[Vanessa Friedman]

Well, Demi was actually wearing a look that started with vintage repurposed vintage wallpaper.

[Tiffany Hansen]

That's right. I read that. That's right.

[Vanessa Friedman]

Which is really.

[Tiffany Hansen]

I'm not sure how that works.

[Vanessa Friedman]

It was interesting to mention, you know, he. And it had flowers on it. So he, you know, Harris was definitely trying to touch on both the idea of vintage and the idea of florals. And they were a sort of fantastically flamboyant pair.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Well, I don't want to leave without talking about the men. There were some, you know, predictably adventurous looks from folks that you might imagine. So let's talk a little bit about the men's looks that you liked.

[Vanessa Friedman]

Lil Nas X in Luar.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Right, of course, yeah.

[Vanessa Friedman]

Definitely made a statement. Colman Domingo in Willy Chavaria looked fantastic, I thought. But there was a lot of, you know, pretty relaxed dressing. Whether you're talking about Donald Glover or Chris Hemsworth who, you know, showed up in a kind of ivory colored tux. Unbuttoned shirt and. And talked about being comfortable.

[Tiffany Hansen]

And I'm, I'm forgetting the name of the guy that was in succession. Why can't I remember his name? Al off the top of my head? Jeremy, thank you. Strong.

[Vanessa Friedman]

Strong.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Yes.

[Vanessa Friedman]

In Laura Piana, you know, which. The brand that he made famous in with succession. Right. The epitome of stealth wealth. And he. He apparently was still flying the flag.

[Tiffany Hansen]

All right, I do want to bring our listeners quickly into the conversation here. Vanessa, let's talk with Gina in Hell's Kitchen. Hi, Gina.

[Listener Caller]

Hi. Thank you for taking my call. So first, I love the Met. It. Is the super bowl for us, costing people? My question is, when, when these invitees are invited, are they the ones that pay? Is this how they raise the money? It's like, say, does Rihanna pay that, that fee?

[Tiffany Hansen]

Good question.

[Vanessa Friedman]

Generally, when celebrities attend the Met, they attend as guests of a brand, and that means that the brand has bought the table and they are sitting at the table. They are free to donate to the Met. And I think many of them do, because this year, we just learned the gala brought in a record $26 million.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Wow. All right, we have another question from a listener that I want to get to here. Janet in Brooklyn. Janet, good afternoon.

[Listener Caller]

Good morning. Afternoon.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Sorry. That's all right. I do it all the time.

[Listener Caller]

I want to know, there's no social media. And do they walk around in these capes and these high heels after the Met? Does anyone film them coming, you know, out of the Met in flats, minus the cake?

[Tiffany Hansen]

Right. So, Vanessa, this is my question. You know, are you somebody stuck sitting behind the person with the twigs on their head?

[Vanessa Friedman]

Sometimes they keep it all on. Sometimes they take off a cape. Sometimes they change. Certainly they change for the after parties, or often they change for the after parties. But. But there is a. There's a lot of commitment to a look that happens at the Met.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Right. Like Cardi B's. Her skirt went on for days. I don't know. How do you. That took like 10 people.

[Vanessa Friedman]

It took. It took eight ushers to get her up the stairs. I cannot tell you what happened to the skirt once inside because as you say, as the, as the listener said, once people go into the dinner, there is no social media and there is no reporting. So what goes on in the dinner stays in the dinner.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Well, right. You know, even with social media, that's sort of the case. So I'm wondering, just quickly, before we go, this is sort of a meta question. Is Zendaya becoming the new Rihanna? Rihanna wasn't there.

[Vanessa Friedman]

She, Rihanna, apparently was sick. You know, there's a kind of ebb and flow and flux to who comes to the Met, who decides they're not coming to the Met anymore? It's a snapshot in a way of the, of the people who shape our culture at a specific moment in time. And I think there's no question that Zendaya is becoming one of those culture shapers.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Yeah. Our guest has been Vanessa Friedman. She's the New York Times chief fashion critic we've been talking about, of course, the Met Gala from last night. Vanessa, thanks so much.

[Vanessa Friedman]

Thank you.

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[Vanessa Friedman]

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[Tiffany Hansen]

Let's go.