This year’s Met Gala broke fundraising records, bringing in more money than at any point in its 77-year history. At a press preview this week, Max Hollein, CEO of The Met, announced that the gala raised $31 million for the Costume Institute—surpassing last year’s $26 million. The theme of this year’s event and accompanying exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, explores over 300 years of Black fashion, highlighting dandyism and the role of design and styling in expressing Black identity and culture. Major contributions came from corporate sponsors like Meta and TikTok, who purchased tables starting at $350,000 each—often passing seats to A-list influencer celebrities like Wisdom Kaye and Léna Mahfouf. Individual invite-only tickets were priced at $75,000. Additional key donors included The Perry Foundation, Africa Fashion International, and the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. Under the leadership of Anna Wintour, Vogue’s Global Editorial Director and Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast, the first Monday in May has raised an estimated $250 million for The Met’s Costume Institute since 1995.
Also reported in: Vanity Fair, NYT, Black Enterprise
What do you think of this year’s theme? Who wore your favorite look? I’d love to get your thoughts—reply to this post or drop a comment.
Thanks for reading — more visuals and data insights coming soon on Go Figure Weekly.— Semmi W.
