What We Know About the Theme of the 2021 Met Gala

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Benefit 2021 is set to go down Monday, September 13, and you can watch a livestream of the event over on vogue.com. Casual fashion fans may not be familiar with this year’s theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”—translation: a celebration of American fashion—so here’s a quick backgrounder. 

What does “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” mean?  

This year’s Met gala is all about fashion made in the U.S.A. “I’ve been really impressed by American designers’ responses to the social and political climate, particularly around issues of body inclusivity and gender fluidity, and I’m just finding their work very, very self-reflective,” Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu Curator in charge of the Costume Institute, told Vogue. “I really do believe that American fashion is undergoing a renaissance. I think young designers in particular are at the vanguard of discussions about diversity and inclusion, as well as sustainability and transparency, much more so than their European counterparts, maybe with the exception of the English designers.”

Who are the cochairs for the Met Gala 2021?

Per Vogue, Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, and Naomi Osaka are cochairs for the event. Tom Ford, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri, and Anna Wintour are honorary chairs.

Are there vaccination requirements for attendees? 

Yes. “Currently, all attendees…must provide proof of full vaccination and will also be expected to wear masks indoors except when eating or drinking,” a spokesperson for the Met confirmed to People. “We will update these guidelines as needed.”

How does  “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” compare to past Met gala themes?

All past Met gala themes have their own unique vibes, so it’s quite hard to compare them. The Met gala 2019 theme, for example, was “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” The Met gala 2018 theme was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” And in 2016, it was all about technology and fashion. The themes truly run the gamut. That being said, the camp theme will always reign supreme for me! (Sorry—Gaga stan here!)