One of the biggest nights in fashion approaches as the Metropolitan Museum of Art rolls out the red carpet for this year’s Met Gala to be held on Monday — the first Monday in May.

I am by no means a fashionista. I dress in solid colors and my clothes are average cuts, certainly nothing fancy. I don’t know the jargon or even the big-name contributors in fashion. I don’t even know the names of most fabrics.

But I absolutely adore the Met Gala.

While the event is held to kick off the new exhibit in the Costume Institute in the museum, I’m always more excited to see how A-list celebrities will dress to fit the theme.

The Met Gala is not only an event, it is art. It’s interpretation. And, overall, it’s a lot of fun to see.

Every year, the Met Gala selects a theme, usually regarding fashion, history, or both. With those themes is where the magic happens.

Designers and models get together to put together an outfit that not only fits the theme but also their interpretation of it. The time they put into thoughts and execution almost always pays off, but, without a doubt, it’s always something original.

A major example, that will always stand out to me, is Blake Lively’s 2022 dress.

In 2022, the Met Gala’s theme was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” or seen more straightforwardly as “Gilded Glamour,” reflecting a period of rapid industrialization and economic growth in the U.S. from 1870 to 1900.

The goal was to reflect the evolution of both the U.S. and American fashion.

When Lively arrived on the scene, she was seen in a rose-gold gown with a large bow on her hip. Halfway up the steps, the dramatic untying of the bow revealed a long, stunning turquoise train.

The transformation in color reflected the oxidized copper of the Statue of Liberty, from its original reddish-brown color, when built in 1886, to its blue-green color now.

Printed on the train were constellations, inspired by Grand Central station.

The dress itself was created with beaded patterns reflecting the Empire State Building and other iconic New York architecture.

Down to her seven-tiered crown, also representing the Statue of Liberty with its seven rays, Lively and her designer played perfectly into the theme and the beauty of New York architecture’s evolution.

She even told People Magazine, in 2022, that “instead of looking to fashion to influence the dress, (she) looked to New York City architecture and the classic buildings.”

Maybe it’s because the dress reflects my favorite city, or maybe it’s because Lively is a favorite actress of mine, or maybe it’s just the attraction of that dress that makes me want to talk about it non-stop.

Either way, it’s still the perfect example of history and fashion coming together, fitting the 2022 theme impeccably.

Each year, new interpretations of the themes are thrown into the ring. Each theme can bring displays of current events, modern technology, historical details, and plenty of other concepts. The sky is the limit.

Whether it be the designers or the models, I love to see how they make each theme its own.

Like Katy Perry’s outfit with angel wings for the 2018 theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Or Sarah Jessica Parker and Alexander McQueen’s celebrations of “AngloManie: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion” seen in their 2006 outfits made of tartan fabric and kilts. The list goes on.

Outfits, themes, and more date back to the Gala’s founding in 1946 and the first major event held in 1948.

The Met Gala is a part of history, playing a major role in art and fashion history as it continues to raise money for the Met’s Costume Institute.

This year’s theme is “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” and I cannot wait to see what’s in store. The official dress code, provided not everyone works to fit the theme, is “The Garden of Time.”

So, it’s likely that this year we will see lots of floral patterns and other botanical inspirations. We might see interpretations of Mother Nature or simply the Earth. It’s also entirely possible to see outfits related to the 1959 Disney princess movie “Sleeping Beauty.”

There is so much to see at fashion’s biggest night of the year, and I dream of being there one day — probably as a photographer or reporter, since I don’t think I’ll reach the fame needed for an invitation.

Until then, I’ll watch the livestream and appreciate the art as it walks up the iconic steps of the Met.

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.