At the same time, the gala is grappling with other uncertainties, including a transition of professional roles for the longtime editor of Vogue, Anna Wintour, whose control over the event — from the seating charts to the finger food — is famously ironclad.
In the last year, the 76-year-old Wintour stepped aside from her role as editor in chief of American Vogue, and named as her successor Chloe Malle. Wintour remains in a top position at Condé Nast, Vogue’s parent company, as chief content officer, and global editorial director of Vogue.
As the world’s most famous magazine editor, Wintour has been credited with transforming the gala from a clubby New York society event into a global phenomenon, attracting a star-studded A-list and generating a healthy revenue stream for Condé Nast, said Amy Odell, a fashion journalist who wrote a biography of Wintour, “Anna: The Biography.” In fact, the gala, which is streamed exclusively by Vogue, brings the media company so many advertising dollars, Odell said, that “they can’t not have it.”
The Met’s Costume Institute is financially dependent on the gala. Last May, it raised a record $31 million, dwarfing similar benefit events at other institutions. This year’s take is expected to surpass that.
The gala’s place in the New York City and global social calender — traditionally the first Monday in May — is also unparalleled, with immense power to cement the importance of up-and-coming stars, both in fashion and the world of celebrity. Wintour has also argued that the gala — by, for example, drawing guests who stay at hotels and hiring multiple behind-the-scene vendors — is ultimately a shot in the arm for the city’s economy.
Ms. Mallis echoed this. “At the end of the day, it’s an enormous fund-raiser,” Mallis said, adding, “and that is a very positive thing.”
