The red carpet won't be graced by the stars this year because the 2020 Met Gala is officially canceled.

The biggest annual fashion event was initially postponed. However, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's mid-March decision to close its doors indefinitely has forced this year's even to be called off entirely.

The Met's "About Time: Fashion and Duration" exhibit will still be displayed through October 29 until February 7 the following year. The exhibit would have been set as the theme for the 2020 event. The Costume Institute plans to reopen its doors in mid-August. All talks, tours, concerts, and events were canceled through the end of the year.

A spokeswoman for the institute said the 2021 gala will follow next year's unannounced exhibition.

The annual gala serves as the primary fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts and is covered worldwide due to the vast number of celebrities and A-listers who turn out for the event. This year's exhibition will feature a continuum of fashion over the institute's 150-year history.

History

The Met Gala wasn't always the star-studded, most exclusive night in fashion. The black-tie affair was first introduced to New York by fashion publicist and founder of the CFDA, Eleanor Lambert, in 1948. The tickets used to cost $50, which is around $520 today. The intimate soiree was designed to raise money for the newly-opened Costume Institute at the Met. Back then, the gala was a small and simple affair where only those invited and selected from the Manhattan high society came.

Two decades later, Diana Vreeland, who is known as the former editor of American Vogue, consulted for the Costume Institute. Her direction gave birth to something resembling the event we know and love today.

Vreeland transformed the event into one of the most awaited nights in fashion after she chose to invite Hollywood celebrities including Diana Ross and Cher. She introduced a themed dress code and hosted the event in the Met's basement where the Costume Institute held their exhibition each year.

During Diana's tenure, guests would arrive donning the glitziest and most glamorous clothes before descending into a perfume-laced gallery. Tickets were sold at $100 to allow fashion industry workers and students to attend.

When Vreeland died in 1989, the gala was left without a chairwoman. The event was still held annually, with the early 90s bringing a new sense of glamour and a surprise appearance from Princess Diana who was decked out in a John Galliano Dior navy gown.

In 1999, Anna Wintour was announced as the new chairperson. The gala was moved from December to May. She also used Vogue's vast network of contacts to include personalities outside of the fashion and entertainment industry. Under her reign, the Met Gala saw athletes, politicians, media personalities, fashion figures, and celebrities.

The attendees received an invitation from Wintour or the fashion brands they have a relationship with. Others are handpicked by Vogue employees. Those who have $35,000 lying around can also come and attend the gala.


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