How you feel about the Met Gala – or haute couture in general – says something about you as a person. For example, if you're a designer who thinks it's a good investment to spend a small fortune to have celebrities pose for the cameras in your bespoke designs, the Gala may be for you. But if your wardrobe stretches only to jeans and fake Crocs, maybe not.

To put it another way, is the Gala really "fashion's biggest night", to use a now popular catch phrase of the media? Or is it just a very successful marketing exercise that allows A-listers to play dress-up while someone else foots the bill?

For the jeans-and-Crocs crowd who may be unfamiliar with the Met Gala, it's a fundraiser held each May to benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan. First held in 1946, since 1995 it has been "curated" by Vogue magazine's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. Designers currently pay an eye-watering US$75,000 to have famous people – mostly, but not always, from the performing arts – photographed and filmed in their bespoke robes. It generates a ton of money (allegedly far more than the Institute needs) and unrivaled media coverage. In 2023, software company Launchmetrics estimated that it generated nearly double the "media impact value" of the Super Bowl.

It is also very exclusive. Aside from the massive entry fee for designers, both they and celebrities must be invited. Only 650 or so people are thus privileged each year, and walk-ins – no matter how rich or famous you may be – are strictly prohibited.

SEE ALSO: Why the fur trade needs "frivolous" high fashion. Truth About Fur.

"Fashion's Biggest Night"?

First, a confession of sorts. I've been called a "fashion heathen" because, well, I belong firmly in the jeans-and-Crocs crowd. But I also believe strongly in vive la différence, so if you want to dress in ribbons and bows, and douse yourself in a cloud of cologne, we can still be friends!

That said, how do you all feel about the now popular description of the Met Gala as "fashion's biggest night"? Is it deserved? And what's with the blatant unoriginality of all those headline writers?

Women’s Wear Daily introduced this year's Met Gala as “fashion’s biggest night”, deeming it necessary (perhaps with a little embarrassment?) to explain that that's how it's “known in popular culture”. The BBC chose the exact same words, while CNN mixed it up ever so slightly by calling it “fashion’s biggest night out”.

Turn the clock back a year or two, and both Glamour and CBS News called it – you guessed – “fashion’s biggest night”!

And these are only the tip of the iceberg. Just Google "fashion's biggest night" and see what comes up!

Even Wikipedia, not hamstrung by having to write catchy headlines, calls the Gala “the world's most prestigious and glamorous fashion event.”

Is the Gala really such a huge deal for the fashion industry? Do such prestigious events as the fashion weeks of New York, London and Paris have nothing to compare?

What Does a Designer Say?

In search of balance, I asked New Zealand designer Jane Avery whether she shared this gushing enthusiasm.

SEE ALSO: What's it like showing at a major fashion week? Jane Avery finds out. Truth About Fur.

Truth About Fur: Speaking as a designer yourself, does the Met Gala deserve to be called "fashion's biggest night"?

Jane Avery: I’m a fan. The Met Gala is in the same vein as a highly anticipated sports event. There’s been lots of Stanley Cup ice hockey on our TV screen lately [Ed.: Though the Averys live in New Zealand, Jane's husband is Canadian], but this week I got to live stream the Gala while I did my household chores. Talk about another universe! Just as Vogue is the world's premier fashion mag, the Gala is undoubtedly "fashion’s biggest night". And it's much more exciting to someone like me than a Maple Leafs win! 

This year's phenomenal media build-up reflects the interest that many people have, and the exhibition theme of "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" was important, timely and absolutely deserving of the world stage.

TAF: That's an unequivocal vote of support. But how about the proceeds? Is the Met Museum’s Costume Institute a worthy cause?

JA: It’s easy to be cynical, but what we're seeing is really a power for good. The Costume Institute is one of the planet's most precious repositories of clothing and fashion history, and it's the collective intention of the many people in the world of haute couture, from bottom to top, marketing executives included, to see it thrive and be preserved. I'd call it a very worthy cause.

Plus we all get to benefit. Anyone can visit the Costume Institute galleries and immerse themselves in the exhibits showing pinnacles of human achievement in clothing design and construction. 

TAF: That's another strong vote of support! So how do you respond to criticism that the Met Gala is "elitist"?

JA: Maybe the label "elitist" is fitting, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We often associate elites with wealthy and powerful people, but they can also refer to people with special skills, and throughout history these two groups have often worked together in their mutual pursuit of excellence. The money and influence of one group enables the other. We call it "patronage", and whether you agree with it or not, the results have often been spectacular. Without the business acumen of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo would never have painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel!

So while it's easy to dub the Met Gala as a mere marketing exercise paid for by clothing brands, it's actually about the pursuit of excellence, and realising this excellence on a global stage requires many resources. What you see on the Gala’s red carpet is the sum total of incredible achievements by scores of very skilled (elite) people, not just the designers. For example, there are ateliers full of skilled seamstresses and embroiderers. If there were no elitism, what would happen to this pursuit of beauty and accomplishment?

TAF: Fair enough, but I'm getting stuck on that entrance fee for designers of $75,000. Isn't it a little excessive?

JA: Of course the Met Gala is a marketing exercise, but for any elite enterprise, a big budget is the norm. Plus, all that money – no matter where it goes – just adds to the mystique. Think sport! For most people, the huge salaries of Super Bowl players and half-time performers, not to mention the cost of advertising, just add to the special appeal.

TAF: OK, I'm sold! Switching tack, one way in which the Met Gala democratises participation is to invite viewers to vote for their favourite creations. What were yours this year?

JA: A fine example, worn by American actor Walton Goggins, was a deconstructed yet immaculately tailored outfit by Thom Browne paying homage to the hidden artisans of fashion. So good. 

Then there was the outfit of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan created by India's preeminent designer, Sabyasachi Mukherjee. It's wonderful to see Mukherjee's pursuit of elite excellence and devotion to India’s craft traditions and craftspeople recognised and honoured at the Met Gala.

But my very favourite look this year was the sublime suit worn by racing driver Lewis Hamilton and created by Grace Wales Bonner. It also highlighted the importance of choosing the right models. Not only was Hamilton very involved in the creation of his suit, but his personal story is all about the fundamental pursuit of human excellence.

(Ed.: TAF reminds readers that while Sir Lewis may dress nicely, he is a vegan activist and no friend to the fur trade. Other designers at this year's Met Gala clearly felt differently, as the International Fur Federation reported.)

Kudos Must Be Due Then

So there you have it. For a real designer, who actually knows a cross stitch from a blanket stitch, the Met Gala is unquestionably "fashion's biggest night", and the costumes it produces are "sublime".

As for the designers and organisers – in particular Anna Wintour – who put it all together, kudos must be due for knowing the value of their products. If they didn't, the Gala would not be the huge commercial success it has undeniably become!

And last but not least, here's a message for all you fellow fashion heathens: don't feel bad! Keep right on wearing your jeans and Crocs, confident in the knowledge that we were not all brought into this world to like the same things. Vive la difference!