The moment we eagerly await each year has arrived. The theme for the next Met Gala has just been announced—Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. According to a report from Vogue, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2016 gala and exhibition “will focus on the dichotomy between handmade haute couture and machine-made fashion.”
The trend has been steadily reinforced season after season (remember Chanel? Those shoes!) “Traditionally, the distinction between the haute couture and prêt-à-porter was based on the handmade and the machine-made,” Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute, said in the article. “But recently this distinction has become increasingly blurred as both disciplines have embraced the practices and techniques of the other.”
Spectators can expect to see more than 100 pieces, including haute couture and ready-to-wear featuring embroidery, pleating, and lacework alongside tech-designs incorporating new technologies like laser cutting, thermo shaping, and circular knitting. The exhibition will also have live workshops, such as 3-D-printing, where the public will witness the designs as they are made.
The Met Gala will take place on Monday, May 2, 2016, and will be hosted by co-chairs Idris Elba, Jonathan Ive, Taylor Swift, and Anna Wintour. Honorary chairs include Nicolas Ghesquière, Karl Lagerfeld, and Miuccia Prada. The gala and exhibition sponsor will be (surprise!) none other than Apple.
For those who make this year’s guest list, we’re betting they’ll be leaving with some Apple gear, as we spotted several Apple Watches on the wrists of top editors this Fashion Week season. Coincidence? We think not.