The Met Gala, one of the biggest nights in fashion, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but in its place is the virtual Met Gala that will be held on Twitter by the members of the “high fashion Twitter” community on May 4, lead by @HFMetGala.
The @HFMetGala Twitter page is made up of 11 members, including the creator, Aria Olson. The page announced on April 30 they would host a virtual gala, a celebration also referred to as the “High Fashion Twitter Met Gala.”
“When they canceled [the Met Gala] it was really sad for the community because it’s something that brings us together,” Olson said to The Cut.
To celebrate the gala, people can submit photos, looks, illustrations and dream boards using the layout that is provided by @HFMetGala with the hashtag, #HFMetGala or #HFMetGala2020. This year’s online gala followed the Met Gala 2020 theme, “About Time: Fashion and Duration,” which is “billed as a journey through the history of fashion from 1870 to the present,” CNN reported.
The high fashion Twitter community is for fashion lovers, enthusiasts and anyone who wants to discuss “runway collections, fashion history, industry news and issues like fashion’s impact on the environment,” according to The Cut.
“Dedicated to creating an online space where fantasy reigns supreme and impracticality does not exist, the High Fashion Twitter Met seeks to allow fashion enthusiasts from around the world to share and express their unique creative visions without real world inhibitions,” @HFMetGala posted on Twitter.
“All you see on the news today is COVID, COVID, COVID, and that can get really draining,” Olson said, according to The Cut.
The members also encouraged people to donate $5 to the International Medical Corps, which sends out first responders to donate medical supplies and help people in need.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the United States, usually hosts the Met Gala, a fundraising benefit for the Costume Institute, on the first Monday in May. A-list celebrities such as designers, upcoming names in fashion and well-known artists like Rihanna and Lady Gaga, typically attend the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition.
However, the museum closed like many other museums and cultural institutions after being pressured to adhere to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s guidelines for social distancing. He cautioned people to avoid gatherings of 50 or more people and said “All programs and events through May 15 will be canceled or postponed,” according to the New York Times.
The online gala has no association with the Met, the Costume Institute, official gala personnel or the social platform. Therefore, if the gala is held later, it keeps its exclusivity, while the online gala offers people something for themselves.
Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor-in-chief, postponed the event. The event was supposed to be sponsored by Louis Vuitton.
“Due to the unavoidable and responsible decision by the Metropolitan Museum to close its doors, “About Time,” and the opening night gala, will not take place on the date scheduled,” Wintour wrote for Vogue.
She said the exhibit will be previewed in Vogue’s May issue.
The postponement is a significant loss of revenue for the museum. Because of the exclusiveness of the event, there is usually a lot of profit generated. “People are usually invite-only, and tickets cost upwards of $30,000,” CNN reported.
Last year’s exhibit, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” raised $15 million.
There are only a few instances where the gala had not been held, namely 9/11 and former President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, according to CNN.
“The High Fashion Twitter Met Gala endeavors to give back to this incredible community and celebrate the voices of the new generation of fashion devotees,” @HFMetGala tweeted.
