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Dubbed as the Oscars of the East CoastThe Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. is one of the most important see-and-be-seen events on the citys social calendar.

3So What is All the Fuss About?A Little HistoryOriginated in 1948 when the Costume Institute was founded at the Metropolitan Museum.

It was decided that the American fashion industry would both help to curate the institute and supply its entire operating budget. Eleanor Lambert, who founded the CFDA originally ran the party.Matrons paid $50 to wear some of the Costume Institutes gowns at a midnight supper in December. Vogue Editor Anna Wintour took over in 1995, and is credited with bringing a Hollywood element to the party.

Eleanor LambertAnna Wintour

4Dollars and Cents

The Costume Institute Gala is actually one of the biggest fundraising nights in New York each year.Last year the gala reportedly raised nine million dollars.The year before, during the recession, the tally came in at $5.4 million.Vogue and Anna Wintour invite corporations to buy tables at the gala, $75,000 to $250,000 depending on the size of the brand and its relationship with Vogue.

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Individual tickets also go up for sale, but are hard to come by, and can cost up to $25,000, depending on their location.Ticket Prices

The affair, is attended by personalities from the arts, fashion, high-society, film and music.

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7ThemesEach year the event has a theme, and includes a cocktail hour and a formal dinner. The theme not only sets the tone for the annual exhibit, but also for the guests who attempt to dress to uphold the theme of the year.

8The Last Three MetGala Themes

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Christina RicciBeyonce

SavageBeauty2011

10Karolina Kukova

IMPOSSIBLECONVERSATIONS2012Elizabeth Banks

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chaos 2 couture

BeyonceUma ThurmanMadonna2013PUNK

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The First Lady was there for the official grand opening of the new Anna Wintour Costume Center at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014. A new exhibit at the center opened to the public featuring the works of Charles James, whose Beyond Fashion Exhibit, was the theme for this years Met Gala. James is known as Americas first and really only couturier until his death in 1978.

Charles JamesBeyond FashionThe Met Exhibit 201413

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Charles JamesJames was an artist who chose fabric and its relationship to the human body as his medium of expression.His work went beyond fashion and was considered to be fine art. Beyond Fashion was also the title James chose for the autobiography he never wrote. After designing in his native London, and then Paris, James arrived in New York City in 1940. With no formal training, he is one of the greatest designers to have worked in the tradition of the haute couture in America. His fascination with complex cuts and seaming led to the creation of key design elements that he updated throughout his career. His iconic ball gowns from the late 1940s and early 1950s the "Clover Leaf," "Butterfly," "Tree," Swan," and "Diamond, will be showcased in the exhibition. The exhibition will explore Jamess design process and his use of sculptural, scientific, and mathematical approaches to construct ball gowns and innovative tailoring that continue to influence designers today. 14

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Clover leaf or SwanButterfly or Diamond

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RihannaKendall JennerLiu WenSarah J ParkerBlake LivelyHailee SteinfeldCharlize TheronArizone Muse

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Charles James: Beyond Fashion Costume Institute Gallery