I’m not really into the fashion industry, but rather I’m fascinated by what fashion can offer in our society. 

The Costume Institute Benefit, better known as the Met Gala, has been going on since 1948, for almost eighty years now. To be at the event, you have to be invited by the one-and-only Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine. The Met Gala is exclusive to those who are invited, and its purpose is to fundraise for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. 

Each outfit found at the event is inspired by famous paintings and is meant to express a topic of art. This year’s theme was “Costume Art”, celebrating the Metropolitan Museum’s spring exhibition. Many celebrities, like Zendaya, Sabrina Carpenter and many others, always outshine the Gala and make the event seem more special than it actually is. But other than fabric and makeup, what else does the Met Gala actually serve in our society? 

Honestly, the whole event is just ridiculous. 

I’m not talking about the fashion–that part is fun–but the money fundraised from the event is absurd. Like everyone else, I enjoy watching people criticize what celebrities wore on the red carpet, judging them based on their creativity and deciding whether each outfit was a hit or a miss. 

My personal favorite from this year’s Met Gala is Emma Chamberlain in Mugler and Chopard. The whole dress looked like a beautiful mess, and I loved it. And Kendall Jenner, who wore a beige fabric wrapped around her body, was inspired by the Winged Victory of Samothrace.  

If the Met Gala were to fundraise for other charities for a real cause, or for a local hospital, then the event would suddenly become more relevant. At this year’s Met Gala, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was the co-chair and Wintour herself asked him if he would sponsor the event. Bezos spent $10 million of his own money, funds that he could have instead donated to other organizations that needed it the most. 

This is not to mention that people on social media have related the Met Gala to The Hunger Games, and now I understand why. It’s an ugly, lavish life that the rich are rubbing in our faces. Money, money, and more money. While people sip their fancy champagne at the Met Gala, others are killing themselves to feed their families and receive health care. 

These billionaires sponsoring the Met Gala should be ashamed. Even the celebrities who attend are no surprise anymore. (Thank you, no thank you, Beyoncé). In the end, the Met Gala might just be a distraction from something bigger, and we don’t even know it yet. 

We don’t need another Met Gala; we need real support. Yes, seeing antiques from the 16th century is cool and all, but does that help a poor man in the streets? Maybe, but I doubt it.