Fashion is a tool that has been used throughout history to showcase emotions, beliefs, and personal expression. Now, on May 4th, the Met Gala is going to come together with its latest theme to combine the beauty and complexity of stylistic choices with world-renowned celebrities.
The Met Gala began as a fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, but it has become a widely known event that is more than just socialites gathering in support of a museum’s fund, according to Time Magazine. It has now become a well-known event for celebrities to show off their fashion, whether it is political, cultural, or a representation of them as people in society.
As usual, the Met Gala is being held at the museum, where it has been for 78 years. According to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the dress code for this year’s Met Gala is “Fashion is Art”, meaning it will incorporate surrealist styles and try to capture fashion as a diverse art form, while also utilizing other forms of art within.
Since the beginning of the Met Gala, the intention has been to raise money for the museum to support artists. Each year, the Met Gala generates increasing amounts of money, indicating its rise in popularity and how it serves as a well-functioning charity, not just a social event.
A stylist for Vogue, Bailey Moon, shares her opinion on the meaning of some of the art pieces that are used as inspiration for this year’s theme, or “Costume Art,” specifically looking at the “Portrait of Anne Boleyn,” in an article published by Vogue.
“I love this piece because the garment is structured and serves almost as her armor — she’s in control. And yet she’s softened the severity of the dress with the personalized pendant and delicate trims. It’s commanding and strong, made even more so by knowing her eventual fate,” Moon said.
Another Vogue staff member comments on their deep perception of fashion in art. Stephen Biga, a designer, examines “Joan of Arc” by Everett Millais and the interpretations behind her attire in an article published by Vogue.
“I’ve always been drawn to ‘Joan of Arc’ by John Everett Millais for the way it balances strength and femininity. Armor covers her upper body, while a swath of red fabric softens her lower half. It doesn’t erase her femininity — it holds it alongside her strength,” Biga said.
Together, these artistic interpretations of historical art fashion work to portray fashion as an art form that can be demonstrated in numerous ways to allow for a deeper meaning to be created. Also, looking specifically at the types of fashion that are present in these paintings, they all convey a meaning behind the chosen color or texture, but they also reflect the historic time period they were a part of, showing how trends and traditions change over time, but intentions last.
Diana Velisar, a Carlmont High School sophomore, has worked with fashion her whole life. She would visit the Academy of Design in Belmont before eventually working there. Then, she took a workshop at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and in the summer of 2026, she is planning to attend a program at Vogue’s Fashion College in New York.
“It’s a really big form of expression. It’s very political, it’s very cultural. A lot of statements are said through art and through fashion, specifically. People wear what they feel. Punk, for example, was a big fashion statement,” Velisar said. “I think that it does have a correlation because everything painters do, especially back then, was all to portray an image, and the way that you dress people definitely adds to that. If you’re trying to have a somber mood, you’re not going to dress them in colorful clothes unless it’s to portray hysteria or something like that. Everything that you dress people in relates.”
For Victoria Chow, a ballet dancer and a sophomore at Carlmont, fashion affects her form of art differently.
“Costumes are really important to express something because sometimes having some blank white canvas can really change the meaning of the dance, or an elaborate and decorative costume could also convey another meaning to the piece, ” Chow said.
Joey Espinosa, a visual arts teacher at Carlmont, mentions how different forms of fashion and art can contribute to creating a more appealing and meaningful piece.
“When it comes to fashion, essentially the mannequin, or the frame on which the art is hung, the human body is your framework; that’s what you’re starting with. So it either enhances it or hides it,” Espinosa said.
