Everything You Need to Know About the Met Invite List Debate

By Elizabeth Flood

Maybe it was the 28-month hiatus, or the jaw dropping looks, but I am still not over all of the juicy details regarding this year's Met Gala. From eyebrow raising absentees, to young TikTok stars making their Met debut, there certainly is a lot to unpack.

Frequently referred to as the “Superbowl” of fashion, the Met Gala is traditionally held on the first Monday of May. Thanks to COVID-19, it was cancelled in 2020 and held in September of this year. The pandemic proved to not only affect the timeframe of the event, but also the list of those attending.

The Gala is held as a prestigious, A-listers only event. So when a fake invite list including Gen-Z Youtubers and TikTokers like James Charles, Addison Rae, Emma Chamberlain, Bretman Rock, Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, and other controversial creators went viral, a debate quickly followed.

It is no secret that the pandemic has had a profound effect on pop culture, providing content creators the space and platforms to become household names, Addison Rae and the D'Amelio's specifically. But do these fresh-faced stars really have the poise to be invited to fashion’s most important night?

This viral list was released in August by an Instagram account under the handle “_metgala2021”. The account’s bio reads, “This is a fan account. Not affiliated with the Met Museum”, so no information on this account was deemed to be accurate back when the list emerged.

Nevertheless, two Mondays ago, many of these creators featured on this so-called “list” were walking right alongside Met Gala vets like Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber.

This year’s theme, “In America: A Lifetime of Fashion” was a celebration of American fashion and left room for interpretation, thus proving to be an entertaining red carpet as a whole.

Addison Rae wore a vintage Tom Ford by Gucci gown.

She captioned her Instagram photo, “MET ❤️‍🔥 I wrote about this in my dream journal. 🤯 I am so grateful. Thank you ❤️”

Shockingly, Emma Chamberlain was one of the most shared looks of the night on Instagram. She teamed up with Louis Vuitton to create her 60s inspired, completely custom look.

She writes, “THIS IS CRAZY

😭😭😭😭thank you” as she posts her Met Gala debut to her 14 million fans and followers.

Some regulars missing from the event included Harry Styles, Bella Hadid and Blake Lively, and many fans were not too shy to say so on Twitter when it came to speaking their sentiment.

“Theme of the night: Not an Exclusive Invite List #MetGala #MetGala2021” one fan wrote.

“Between the fashions and the invite list… yall coulda just skipped this year honestly #MetGala2021” another Tweet read.

However, we must be aware of the increase in influencers getting picked up by luxury brands for deals, and the impact this may have on trends. Maybe their invite was well deserved? When compared with well-known celebs, Emma Chamberlain has close to 14 million Instagram followers and a whopping 30 million YouTube subscribers. Addison Rae has 40 million Instagram followers, and even starred in the newNetflix film, “He’s All That”.

Like it or not, these Gen Zers have a profound impact on American fashion and culture. At the end of the day, this is what the Met is all about, and they are not going anywhere.