Met Gala, but Make It Masked: As New York Fashion Week Looms, the Industry's Biggest Night Takes Precautions

The 2021 Met Gala must go on, apparently—even amid a surging pandemic. The always anticipated event—which converges the worlds of fashion, entertainment and even sports and serves as the primary fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute—was cancelled amid the the onset of the coronavirus in 2020. But after a spring announcement of its return on September 13 as the conclusion to New York Fashion Week, the gala has an additional note to add to its dress code of “American Independence.”

“Currently, all attendees at The Met Gala on September 13 must provide proof of full vaccination and will also be expected to wear masks indoors except when eating or drinking. We will update these guidelines as needed,” a spokesperson for the Met told the Daily Beast.

While the mask mandate will no doubt result in some interpretive fashion statements, with the Delta variant (and Delta Plus!) predominating not only our news cycles, but newly diagnosed COVID cases, one might question why the Met Gala is even attempting a return at all. After all, being fashion-forward has its limits. Nevertheless, the gala, themed this year as “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” and co-hosted by Billie Eilish, Naomi Osaka, Amanda Gorman, and Timothée Chalamet (with honorary chairs Tom Ford and Anna Wintour),will be on trend with Fashion Week; on Monday, co-producer IMG announced that this September, all New York Fashion Week shows will also require proof of vaccinations. Mask mandates remain uncertain.

More from WWD:

For those who are not yet vaccinated, IMG’s memo provided a timeline noting that Aug. 2 is the last day to receive the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in order to complete full course at least 14 days in advance of fashion week, opening on Sept. 8. Aug. 23 is the deadline to get the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna.

Aug. 25 is the last day to receive a one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in order to complete full course at least 14 days in advance of NYFW: The Shows.

As for how the spread of the Delta variant might impact NYFW: The Shows, IMG said it is in ongoing conversations with New York State and New York City and reviewing CDC guidelines with their in-house health and safety experts on a daily basis. If they need to implement more stringent measures to protect everyone’s health and well-being, they will do so.

G/O Media may get a commission

With no end in sight to what has already been an interminable global health crisis, NYFW co-producer the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) is preemptively planning for its big night, the 2021 CFDA Awards. Also known as the “Oscars of Fashion,” Fashionista reports that after being postponed from its typical early summer date, the event is currently still planned to be in person, taking place on November 10. In an attempt to mitigate health risks, the guest list and venue have also been significantly scaled down from its recent home at the Brooklyn Museum to the former Four Seasons restaurant in Manhattan, now known as The Pool and The Grill. But rest assured, should you garner an invite, the CFDA promises the event “will take place in accordance with CDC and New York State Health Guidelines.”

“This is an important moment in American fashion. There is much excitement about the return of New York City and New York Fashion Week, as well as the top caliber of diverse talent making their mark on the city and the global fashion landscape,” CFDA CEO Steven Kolb said in a statement. “The awards are CFDA’s biggest fundraiser of the year supporting our scholarship program, and we look forward to our industry coming together, in person again, to celebrate the very best of American creativity.”

Let’s hope the precautions allow everyone to celebrate safely. As always, we’ll keep you posted on any updates.