“Sleeping princesses”. Why the theme of the Met Gala 2024 is confusing on the Internet.

It’s fashion’s most anticipated event every year, the Met Gala, the 2024 edition of which will take place on May 6 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Since 1972, the main fundraiser evening, with the editor-in-chief Vogue: American Anna Wintour invites the biggest celebrities of the moment to redouble their creativity on the red carpet. Barely announced, this year’s theme, Sleeping beauties (“Sleeping Belles: waking up fashion”, French) is causing concern on social networks. Indeed, the term “Sleeping Beauties” is a direct reference to Princess Aurora from the fairy tale. Sleeping Beauty By Charles Perrault. On X (formerly Twitter), users are having fun imagining guests arriving at the Met Gala … as Disney princesses. Wrong. Sleeping Beauties is a deeper theme, closely related to the fragility of historical clothing or the notion of time passing.

“I just know that most celebs won’t read beyond the Met Gala theme title,” explains @bottegahoeneta, who partially started the debate about fairies vs. Disney princesses, we’re doomed. “I expect… but much worse,” replied @mrdarcyindior, sharing a photo of Zendaya, who rocked a radiant Cinderella look at the 2019 Met Gala. One user adds that Kim Kardashian will certainly be “on topic. ironically carrying a very delicate artifact that he shouldn’t have. A nod to North West’s mother, who is accused of damaging Marilyn Monroe’s famous dress she wore to the 2022 Met Gala.

Pushing the boundaries of imagination

To match the fashion theme, inspirations from magical folklore can really stay in their magical makeup. Instead, guests will be able to draw inspiration from historic pieces drawn from the great houses’ archives. The theme “Sleeping Beauties” was chosen as “historically important and aesthetically beautiful but too fragile to wear again” for the 50 pieces that will be shown at the Costume Institute, said chief curator Andrew Bolton. .

Around 250 pieces from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection will be on display, some of which have rarely been seen before in public. A rare garment spanning no less than 400 years of history. “This innovative exhibition will push the limits of our imagination and invite us to discover the many facets of the work, to learn more about its history and, ultimately, to better appreciate its beauty,” explains Max Hollein, Director French at the Met. . A real fairy tale.