What I Learned Surviving My First Met Gala

So… This Isn’t Just a Fancy Costume Party?” – A Amateurs First Trip to the Met Gala

Let me just start by saying: I thought I was ready for the Met Gala. I was not ready for the Met Gala.

Officially, it’s called the Costume Institute Benefit, but don’t let that fool you—it’s not your average dress-up party. It’s an annual fundraising event for the fashion wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. But really? It’s fashion’s biggest night of the year. Think Oscars, but with way more glitter, feathers, and confusing dress codes.

Let’s Talk About the Theme… Because Apparently, It’s a Big Deal

Each year, the Met Gala has a theme. It sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. The theme can be something like “Heavenly Bodies” or “Gilded Glamour,” which sounds pretty, but what does it actually mean? Honestly, no one fully knows. You just show up and hope your outfit says, “I totally get this theme” instead of “I got dressed in the dark.”

I showed up thinking I looked amazing—until I saw people wearing chandeliers, wings, and whatever Doja Cat had going on. Suddenly, my outfit felt like I was going to prom… in the wrong decade.

The Red Carpet: Aka The Runway of Judgement

Walking that red carpet is no joke. Photographers are everywhere. Celebs are striking poses like they’ve trained for this since birth. And then there’s me, trying not to trip over someone’s mile-long train while pretending I know where to look.And yes, the fashion is outrageous. But that’s kind of the point. The Met Gala is where fashion stops being “wearable” and becomes full-on art. It’s dramatic, over-the-top, and not meant to make sense all the time. Just go with it.

Inside the Gala: No Phones, No Posts, Just Vibes

Once you’re inside, it’s kind of a secret society. No phones are allowed. You’re surrounded by celebrities, actual royalty, and people wearing outfits that probably cost more than your entire college education. The dinner is fancy, the art exhibit is stunning, and everyone is either networking, quietly judging, or both.

What I Learned as a Met Gala Newbie:

1. The theme is everything. Either go big or go home.

2. Comfort is not invited. Your shoes will hurt. Your outfit might not breathe.

3. Anna Wintour is always watching. Always.

4. The Met Gala is chaotic, glamorous, exhausting… and kind of magical.

Would I go again? In a heartbeat. But next time, I’m hiring a whole glam team, studying the theme like it’s the SAT, and practicing my red carpet pose in the mirror for weeks.

As someone writing about the Met Gala for the very first time, I thought I’d seen it all—until one outfit stopped me in my tracks. André 3000 walked in, and suddenly, all my thoughts hit pause. So naturally, here’s my completely unsolicited judgment on his look.

Alright, André 3000, we get it—you’re not just in music, you are music. But did we expect you to walk into the Met Gala with a grand piano on your back? Absolutely not. Yet here we are.

Dressed like a one-man band teacher who moonlights as an avant-garde art exhibit, André stepped onto the carpet not just in style—but in full symphonic form. His outfit? A navy-blue jumpsuit, cleanly tailored with subtle embroidery and sleek lines. Simple, right? It would’ve been… if not for the literal piano strapped across his back like a fashion-forward musical tortoise.

Complete with a full keyboard and a suspiciously serious carrying strap situation, the ensemble screamed both “Gilded Age” and “Gilded Cage of a Musician’s Mind.” And let’s not ignore that red beret—a subtle nod to either French jazz clubs or cartoon revolutionaries (jury’s still out). He even carried what looked like a black garbage bag. Maybe it held the rest of the orchestra?

But here’s the thing—André somehow pulled it off. Only he could make this look like a profound statement instead of an elaborate prank. Was it a metaphor? A protest? A flex? All of the above?

Regardless, he reminded us all of one thing: When you’re André 3000, there’s no such thing as too much. You don’t wear fashion. You compose it.

–Anvesha gupta