Anna Wintour reveals the Met Gala ‘cardinal sin’ she’s committed – as she confirms the three foods she’s banned from the menu
Vogue’s legendary editor-in-chief Anna Wintour gives fashion fanatics a behind-the-scenes look at the Met Gala and reveals why this year’s event broke its one “cardinal rule.”
The magazine’s 74-year-old director also confirmed the foods she banned from the dinner menu.
Wintour revealed the secrets just days before the Met Gala in a sitting interview with Today host Jenna Bush Hager, filmed from the Restoration Lab at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The star-studded event is an annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, which has been led by Wintour since 1995.
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour revealed some behind-the-scenes secrets of the Met Gala in a new interview with Today
The legendary fashion figure sat down to talk more about this year’s theme – including how it broke her one ‘card rule’ – with Jenna Bush Hager
The star-studded event is an annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, led by Wintour since 1995
Tickets cost as much as $75,000 each, according to the website CBS News.
The gala always has a creative and playful theme, celebrating the grand opening of the new spring exhibition that begins at The Met.
But Wintour admitted that this year’s theme, which marks the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” caused some confusion.
“This exhibition broke my cardinal rule, Jenna, and that’s when we came up with the title Sleeping Beauties. It’s beautiful and poetic and romantic, but it can actually be many things,” Wintour explained.
She said that with the help of Andrew Bolton, the curator of the Met’s Costume Institute, they came up with “Garden of Time” as the official dress code.
“I’m afraid we’ve caused a lot of confusion, for which I sincerely apologize, but I imagine we’ll see a lot of flowers,” Wintour said.
She also broke her silence on the long-standing rumor that she had banned onions, chives and garlic from the gala dinner menu.
“Well, those are three things I’m not too fond of, and yes, that’s true,” Wintour told Hager.
Vogue’s global director even spoke a bit about her strict “no cell phone” rule, which requires all guests to leave their mobile devices at home and enjoy each other’s company.
“I’m afraid we’ve caused a lot of confusion and for that I sincerely apologize, but I imagine we’ll see a lot of flowers,” Wintour said of this year’s theme
She said that with the help of Andrew Bolton, the curator of the Met’s Costume Institute, they came up with ‘Garden of Time’ as the official dress code
Wintour, seen here in 1994, has been at the helm of the famous and star-studded Met Gala since 1995
Wintour also confirmed that she will not allow certain foods to be on the menu at dinner, such as chives and onions.
Each year, Wintour selects and manages the guest list, beginning the process months before the May date
“It’s often wonderful to hear people say after dinner, ‘Oh, we had the most wonderful conversations,’ and so that’s the idea: life can exist without a photo on your cell phone,” she said.
It’s unclear which A-list celebrities will be attending this year’s Met Gala, but there are a few confirmed co-chairs of the event, including Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth.
Each year, the exclusive guest list is hand-picked by Wintour, and is rarely revealed until they arrive at the event, always on the first Monday in May.
Last year, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Lil Nas
Of course, it’s all about the designers too, with big names like Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel creating stunning, unique, bespoke pieces for the stars.
After the guests have their photos taken and are interviewed upon arrival at the Met Steps, they head inside for a mysterious evening about which little is known.
Wintour’s ‘no cell phone’ policy means that nothing about the goings-on of the event will be recorded or shared with the public.
However, a biography of Wintour published by author Amy Odell in 2022 revealed a few things about the big night.
Of course, it’s all about the designers too, with big names like Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel creating stunning, unique, bespoke pieces for the stars. Serena Williams is seen here wearing a custom Versace piece in 2019
Bad Bunny is one of the co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala, along with Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and Chris Hemsworth
After guests, like Zendaya above, have their photos taken and interviewed on the Met Steps upon arrival, they head inside for a mysterious evening about which little is known.
Wintour wants her guests to wear over-the-top looks like Lil Nas
Since cameras aren’t allowed at dinner, it’s unclear what’s actually happening there among all the A-listers — but scenes of the tables have been photographed before, like this one in 2022
Lisa Love, a longtime friend of Wintour, explained, “It’s that English part of her. She loves a fancy dress party.”
Odell wrote that Wintour coordinates how the food is served on the plate based on the color palette.
She also wrote that she likes to serve chicken pot pie at Vogue events because it’s “a one-course meal that has everything in it (protein, veggies, etc.).”
For dessert she loved crème brûlée.
She also thinks broadly about the event, including details like backless chairs for some guests who had elaborate dresses that wouldn’t fit on a regular chair.
The biography also revealed that Wintour encourages her guests to wear exaggerated looks.
Lisa Love, a longtime friend of Wintour, explained, “It’s that English part of her. She loves a fancy dress party.”