FASHION

What Does A Met Gala Co-Chair Actually Do, Anyway?

Asking for Dua Lipa, Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel and Roger Federer.
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It’s time for Dua Lipa, Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel and Roger Federer to shine at the Met Gala. 

The A-list quartet have been tapped as the co-chairs for the 2023 event where they’ll embody the dress code, ‘In honor of Karl‘ to accompany this year’s exhibition ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’, and lead the prestigious guest list as they descend on the red carpet. 

And while every celebrity brings their own vibrancy to the famous steps of New York’s Metropolitan Museum, the co-chairs have a presence that simply cannot be ignored—and for a good reason. 

So what exactly does a co-chair do, you ask? Here, we look at what the elusive role entails. 

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The Met Gala’s Co-Chair’s for 2019. L-R: Serena Williams, Harry Styles, Alessandro Michele and Lady Gaga (Credit: Source: Getty)

What does a Met Gala co-chair do? 

While you’d think the role of co-chair is to simply play host on the night, they actually do a lot more than you might think. Their roles go from helping to put together the entire guest list to working with top chefs to create the specific menu (which is often aligned with each year’s theme). 

A Met Gala co-chair will also help to create atmosphere inside the event by selecting specific decor and working with interior designers to bring the space to life.  

Of course, all co-chairs work hand in hand with permanent co-chair, Anna Wintour, who ultimately has the final say when it comes to pulling the evening together. 

And of course, there ia traditional hosting element too—it’s understood co-chairs often take to the stage to perform during the dinner portion of the evening. 

In 2021, Billie Eilish was joined by Timothée Chalamet, tennis star Naomi Osaka and poet Amanda Gorman as co-chairs. It’s likely that Eilish and Gorman both performed both music and poetry on-stage, respectively. 

Who has co-chaired the Met Gala before?

Prior to Eilish, Chalamet, Osaka and Gorman in 2021, the stage was set for Meryl Streep, Nicolas Ghesquière, Emma Stone, and Lin-Manuel Miranda to be co-chairs in 2020—unfortunately, the pandemic had other ideas and the Met was cancelled.

In 2019, Serena Williams, Harry Styles, Alessandro Michele, and Lady Gaga took the top spots, and in 2018, Amal Clooney, Rihanna, and Donatella Versace were named alongside honorary co-chairs Christine and Stephen A. Schwarzman.

Other notable Met Gala co-chairs in recent years have included Katy Perry in 2017, Taylor Swift in 2016, Jennifer Lawrence in 2015, and Bradley Cooper with Sarah Jessica Parker in 2014.

More honorary chairs have included Beyoncé and Salma Hayek, while Nicole Kidman and George Clooney have helmed the event alongside Wintour more than once in their time. 

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What will Dua Lipa, Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel and Roger Federer do as co-chairs in 2023? 

After weeks of work finalising various elements of the glamorous evening, the foursome will gather together with Anna Wintour on the red carpet where they’ll pose for photos before heading inside the Met. 

Afterwards, we imagine they’ll present to the guests around dinner time where they’ll no doubt utilise their acting prowess to entertain the crowd. 

Of course, given the high secrecy around the event, details about what happens inside are, and will be scarce—but who knows, perhaps a bathroom selfie or two might come of it. Stay tuned. 

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