Breaking this Met Gala rule means celebs won’t be invited back

The annual Met Gala has become a coveted invitation for celebrities, with Hollywood’s Who’s Who taking the plunge on the iconic steps of New York museums. Expensive tickets and a curated guest list make the event both expensive and unique, and last year’s Met Gala raised $170,000 for the Costume Institute.

Wintour — editor of Vogue and organizer of the event — admitted that there was no exact formula for how to get an invite, but it was clearer who would not be invited back.

During an appearance on CBS in January, Wintour and Met curator Andrew Bolton revealed the key rules: no smoking and touching the artwork.

“These would be taboo,” Bolton said, recalling how stars smoked in restrooms despite strict policies. (In 2017, stars such as Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson, and Marc Jacobs lit up in the bathroom, which reportedly led to the Met Receiving a letter from the New York City Department of Health.

So how does Wintour decide who to invite each year? Rule breakers aside, she notes, “It depends on the year. It depends on the theme of the exhibition. There’s no clear answer to that question, really.

Wintour added: “We’re always interested in trying to reflect a cultural moment and what we feel is happening in the world at any given time.

Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

As for how she handles any celebrity upset by being snubbed? “You know, there’s always another year,” the 73-year-old explained, “and every year we try to make it different and have different people come. So obviously there’s always next year.” Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Karl Lagerfeld