FIRST MONDAY IN MAY REVIEW
The First Monday in May. It has that same Cinco de Mayo ring to it, but it’s the most elite and exclusive non-official holiday in existence. For those of you not in on the secret, today marks the annual celebration of the Met Gala—an elaborate affair at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, filled with celebrities, fashion designers and Kardashians.
Co-organized by Vogue editor Anna Wintour and Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, the Met Gala (sometimes referred to as the Met Ball) marks the launch of the Institute’s latest exhibit, this year’s focusing on the co-mingling of fashion and technology.
Though the guest list thins each year, Wintour and Bolton were kind enough to retroactively invite commoners onto the red carpet to partake in last year’s China-themed festivities. “The First Monday in May,” a documentary by Andrew Rossi, guides the fashion-obsessed on a behind-the-scenes tour of the magic, from the initial costume curation to a lavish museum room filled with celebs rocking out to Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money.”
The cinematography was exquisite, and there was an abundance of inside jokes with the fashion community. Highlights included an inside look at Anna Wintour’s apartment, which bears a smirk-worthy resemblance to Miranda Priestly’s apartment set up in “The Devil Wears Prada,” and the Clooneys snubbing André Leon Talley on the red carpet.
STITCH staffers took a little field trip to the Music Box Theatre in Chicago for a screening, and here’s the outcome: A round-up of extremely amateur film reviews.
“Unreal. Crazy.”—Haley Glazer, Editorial Team.
“A beautifully curated exhibit, and I definitely regret missing out on it next summer.”—Beatrice Hagney, Creative Director.
“I’m so thankful I saw this.”—Luke Zhang, Co-chair of Corporate.
“I loved every minute of that movie. I was sitting there dreaming of being a part of that.”—Hannah Curcio, Director of Events.
“I loved how so many people were talking about the power of fashion.”—Christian Welch, Online Editor.
“Fashion has been my passion for a very long time, so it’s very captivating to see it being so culturally relevant.”—Christian Maness, Director of Photoshoots.
“Wow.”—Amber, Managing Editor.
Though I would recommend this film to nearly everyone with the slightest interest in fashion or the Met, it’s definitely intended for the fashion crowd and its followers. But regardless of whether you have a subscription to Vogue, you can appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the evening, as well as the talent and drama that filled the preceding weeks. Now, we hold a collective breath for the next few hours until our Instagram feeds fill completely with Met Gala coverage.