The Met Gala has been postponed indefinitely in response to the coronavirus pandemic

Dominic-Madori Davis

Mar 17, 2020, 04:20 IST

The Met Gala has been postponed indefinitely in response to the coronavirus pandemic

Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

The Met Gala, generally considered the most prestigious night in all of fashion, has been postponed indefinitely.
On Thursday, the Metropolitan Museum, which hosts the Met Gala, said it would be closing to the public and canceling events until at least April 3, giving some hope the Met Gala (set for May 4) would still happen.
However, on Monday, the Met Gala was postponed, as the museum decided to extend the cancellation of events until May 15.
It is not yet clear if this year's Met Gala will be rescheduled or if it is canceled outright.
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The most glitzy night in fashion has gone dark. The Met Gala, which was set to take place on May 4, has been postponed indefinitely.

The news comes just days after the Metropolitan Museum, which hosts the Met Gala, said it would be closing to the public, in addition to canceling all events until at least April 3, after two employees were suspected of having contracted the coronavirus.

As the Met Gala takes place annually on the first Monday in May, many thought that the event might still happen. But a representative for the Met's Costume Institute confirmed on Monday that the event would be postponed. The last time the Met Gala was postponed was in 2002 because of the 9/11 attacks the prior year, The Hollywood Reporter's Lindsay Weinberg noted.

"The CDC advised over the weekend that there should not be any gatherings of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks," a representative for the Costume Institute said. "In deference to this guidance, all programmes and events through May 15 will be canceled or postponed."

This year's planned Met Gala theme was "About Time: Fashion and Duration," and it was set to be sponsored by Louis Vuitton and Condé Nast. Tickets to the event are traditionally by invite only and are reported to cost at least $35,000, with tables selling for between $200,000 and $300,000.

The co-chairs for this year's event were Anna Wintour, who has served as host for more than 20 years; Louis Vuitton Womenswear Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière; actress and Louis Vuitton brand ambassador Emma Stone; as well as Meryl Streep and Lin-Manuel Miranda, according to The New York Times.

"Due to the unavoidable and responsible decision by the Metropolitan Museum to close its doors, About Time, and the opening night gala, will be postponed to a later date," Wintour wrote on Monday in Vogue.

The Met Gala is the latest high profile event derailed, as the coronavirus continues to severely impact the luxury fashion sector.

As previously reported by Business Insider, many major houses including Chanel and Versace have canceled their scheduled shows, while the Italy-based Gucci and Armani have shut down factories throughout the country. It is not yet known the full economic impact the coronavirus will have on the industry, but it has been predicted the sector could lose between €30 to €40 billion (up to $45 billion) in sales this year.