Mike Coppola/Getty ImagesAs Vogue's former editor-at-large, André Leon Talley, put it, the Met Gala is the "Super Bowl of Fashion."
Instead of fireworks and halftime shows, however, the annual Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit spends its resources perfecting design aesthetics fit for the members of our pop culture high society. We're talking grand floral displays, lavish desserts and a sea of the most beautifully dressed people in the world—everyone wants to be a belle at this ball.
If you do receive an invitation from Anna Wintour, you'll have to pay the equivalent to a full year of college tuition to secure your spot, not to mention to lodging and beauty costs.
Then again, can you put a price on the opportunity to show off your fashion prowess in the finest gowns and diamonds? What does it take to have an actual Cinderella moment at the Met Gala?
Keep scrolling for the Met Gala by the numbers to answer all of your burning questions!
This year, the Met Gala celebrates its 70th year anniversary!
Although we only see a select few on the red carpet, last year's event included close to 600 people.
Receiving an invitation to one of the most exclusive events of the year is humbling, yet you'll need to be successful to actually accept. One ticket to the Met Gala cost around $30,000, according to the New York Times.
Often brands will sponsor tables and invite celebrities to sit at their table, saving them a little money. In order to pull this off, you'll need more than a quarter of a million dollars—talk about an investment!
Many celebs start prepping well before the event with spa appointments and skin-care treatments. On the day of the event, however, Bella Hadid told Vogue, it took about three hours to get ready, which typically average for most women on the carpet.
Get ready, because Blake Lively's Met Gala gown has already taken over 600 hours to create. Based on this year's theme, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," it's taken a lot to make this dress heavenly.
Although the Met Gala is known for its display of fashion and celebrity, it has philanthropic roots. Last year, the gala raised approximately $13.5 million for the Costume Institute, as reported by Forbes. This includes ticket sales and high-rolling donors that support the work of the historic institute.
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