The first Monday of May, also known as Met Gala day for the fashion-savvy, is fast approaching.
The 2024 Met Gala is set to be a celebration of historical influence and artistic imagery, complete with a strict dress code. Anna Wintour, the event's organiser, has selected a star-studded group including Bad Bunny, Zendaya, Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Lopez to help run the show.
The theme this year, 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion', will be reflected in the 'Garden of Time' dress code and the post-Gala fashion exhibit.
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Sylvana Ward Durrett, who was the director of special projects at Vogue when the film 'The First Monday in May' first aired, has revealed some of the biggest secrets from behind the scenes of the Met Ball. The documentary gave fans a glimpse into the making of the 2015 China: Through the Looking Glass themed Met Gala.
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Rihanna's budget
One such revelation was about Rihanna's enormous budget for the event. The documentary spilled the beans on the hefty price tag of getting Rihanna to grace the Met Gala with her presence. Sylvana, caught on a call, was heard grappling with the cost of Rihanna's 2015 performance.
Rihanna has attended the Met Gala on several occasions in the past (Getty Images)The exact figures were censored, but whispers of $400,000 to $500,000 floated about. The artist's rep was clear: "She has a massive team that she travels with and that's how she rolls. I told them not to even send it to me [the budget] until they worked on it because I said it was a non-starter, so they went back .... She's expensive, period."
Anna Wintour herself acknowledged the steep fee, confessing it was "twice as much as any performer" they'd ever hosted. She continued, "They're not interested in making it come down any further. they feel like they've done a lot, so it's going to take a higher level ask...you know, from you."
Anna Wintour’s strict rules
As for the iron-clad regulations under Anna Wintour's reign, the Met Gala is no stranger to them. It's common knowledge that mobile phones are a big no-no at the exclusive event.
Despite this, celebs have been known to sneak those infamous mirror selfies in the loo what goes on inside the Met Gala is meant to stay there, after all. Those sneaky bathroom snaps often make waves across the media.
Anna Wintour chooses a mix of celebrities to help organize the event (No credit)In one revealing moment from the film, Anna instructed Sylvana to ensure Allison Williams' husband, Ricky Van Veen, wasn't glued to his phone during the event, especially since he had initially decided against attending.
Anna Wintour's own 'Devil Wears Prada' moment
A CNN presenter put Anna on the spot about "The Devil Wears Prada," penned by a former aide, leaving her momentarily lost for words. Yet, she took it in stride, remarking: "I think she brought attention to fashion in a way that you can look at it in a negative way or a positive way. I choose to look at it in a positive way. In some ways I think I should be grateful to her."
In the film, Anna reflects on public perceptions, noting to the camera: "in this kind of life stereotypes are always going to exist." She adds with resolve: "It's what you do with them, what you make with them."
Fundraising success
The Met Gala is famed as one of New York City's top charity events. The 2015 edition smashed records, raking in an impressive $12.5million for the Museum, a figure that has since been surpassed.
Exclusive guest list
Traditionally accommodating 800 attendees, this year's Met will scale down to a more exclusive 400 guests, reports TIME. Sylvana reveals in the documentary the meticulous care taken over the seating arrangements, considering past interactions and other events, saying: "So much goes into it, it's shocking."
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The Met Gala brings in a lot of money (AFP via Getty Images)Race against time
Organising the Met Gala is no small feat, involving extensive planning and a large team from inception to the event night. Despite the best-laid plans, sometimes not everything runs smoothly.
In the documentary 'The First Monday In May', viewers saw the team frantically setting up for the Met Gala on the morning of the event. Anna was seen in a state of panic over fears they'd fall behind schedule, but fortunately, they managed to pull it off just in time.
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