For those who prefer to stay away from the media hype or are simply unfamiliar with the Met Gala – let's take a step back and find out what this fancy-schmancy gig is about! 

The Met Gala that we know today is one of the most significant gatherings for Hollywood A-listers and other pop culture folk – however, it wasn't always as dramatic and, shall I say, masquerade-like as it is now. Eleanor Lambert, a fashion publicist, started the event in 1948 as a fundraiser for the then newly created Costume Institute to celebrate the start of its yearly exhibition.

Then, in 1972, the Costume Institute underwent a grand transformation thanks to the arrival of Harper's Bazaar luminary and former editor-in-chief of Vogue – Diana Vreeland. With her position as a special consultant, she elevated the Met Gala to new heights by relocating it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and adding gala themes to each exhibit.

These days, the event is managed by Anna Wintour, a British journalist, and Vogue's current editor-in-chief. Wintour oversees it all, including the guest list and all-things-benefit committee, but, of course, not without the help of Vogue's exceptional team!

The event takes place every May, but nobody – and by nobody, I mean we, simple peasants – seems to know what happens after everybody's favorite carpet appearances. 

Well, thanks to Vogue and its recent piece, we get to have a little glimpse: "In short: it's a secret. For this reason, guests must abide by the no phone (and, therefore, no social media) policy. However, you can see exclusive photos from inside the Met Gala here. The event usually involves a high-profile performer (like Rihanna or Justin Bieber), and guests always explore the exhibition before sitting down together for dinner," says the company's spokesperson. 

Pretty intriguing, isn't it? But let's face it, most of us only care about seeing Rihanna's beautiful face and whether Jared Leto has yet another wild costume up his sleeve (he did, by the way).

Now, it's time to get inside the rich people's pockets! 

According to Page Six – a go-to source for the latest celebrity news, entertainment headlines, and gossip – the price for a ticket in 2023 went up to a whopping $50,000, compared to last year's tickets which were said to be $30,000 (plus, with tables available at a starting price of $300,000)! Of course, as mentioned before, simply having a free $50K lying around doesn't mean you get to attend, as it's all up to Miss Wintour – but still, quite a climb, eh?

When it comes to the fundraising aspect of the event, the Met Gala was said to raise a record $17.4 million in 2022. The amount of funds that will go into the piggy bank of the Costume Institute this year is not yet known – however, considering its skyrocketed ticket prices, perhaps we're looking at breaking the record?

Like with many public events that involve all kinds of stars and influencers under the sun, it's not uncommon for some degree of drama to unfold; frankly, though, on this occasion, the sad reality is that the 'drama' is entirely legitimate.

Anyone who's at least a little bit familiar with the fashion world knows that despite Karl Lagerfeld's contributions to the industry, he's known to have made a handful of incredibly controversial comments, which prompted people to protest the Met Gala's theme. Jameela Jamil, for instance – a British actress, activist, podcaster, television host, and judge, who many might know from the fantasy comedy TV series called "The Good Place" – took to her Instagram back in October 2022 to share her opinion about the upcoming theme and essentially ask why the organization decided to celebrate Lagerfeld – an openly fatphobic individual who dubbed Heidi Klum "too heavy," disapproved of the immensely vital #MeToo movement, and was against same-sex marriage despite being gay himself – when there are so many "amazing designers out there who aren't bigoted white men?"

Despite what your thoughts are on this year's theme, one thing we can all agree on is that judging everyone's attire from the comfort of your own couch is an absurdly fun activity – however, many netizens have noticed that over the years, not a lot of high-profile individuals seem to stick to the themes and that many neglect to go all out in general, especially the male attendees with their crazy devotion to plain suits!

Still, Bored Panda hopes that you've enjoyed this diverse ensemble of must-see looks at the 2023 Met Gala! Don't forget to let us know which outfit tickled your fancy the most. Also, do you think it was a hit or a miss this year?