Historically, the Met Gala — annually hosted on the first Monday of May — hasn’t been a big event for creators. That is, unless you’re talking about the online conversation.
High Fashion Twitter, an unofficial community of devoted fashion aficionados who discuss fashion on the X platform, has been talking about the Met Gala on the account @HFMetGala since 2019. The community of 40,000 counts commentators including Hanan Besovic of @ideservecouture (11,200 followers on X) and Odunayo Ojo of @fashionroadman (6,800 followers on X).
As the Met Gala has grown to be a fashion commentator-led event online, High Fashion Twitter has grown, but not without competition from other platforms like Threads. Threads’s fashion community has grown over the last year, and this year, Instagram is strategizing to bring the top online fashion voices around the Met Gala to Threads by providing them with new levels of access. It’s worth noting that TikTok is among this year’s sponsors for the event.
“Threads has been an amazing platform; it’s quite wholesome, humorous, positive and warm,” said Eva Chen, director of fashion partnerships at Instagram. “We’ve seen it work well during awards season, bringing all the fashion commentary to life.”
During Monday’s Met Gala, as orchestrated by Instagram, creators including @upnextdesigner (497,000 followers on Instagram) will provide live updates and engage with fans directly from the Met and associated venues via Instagram and Threads.
“Up Next Designer will be live-Threading from downstairs at the Mark [Hotel, where celebs often get ready for the event], and Instagram is the platform where talent always chooses to post their behind-the-scenes content,” said Chen. “So, you’ll see iconic images and Reels that capture the culture, as well as commentators coming alive on Threads.”
She added, “Some of the content that really pops on Reels, especially, is front-facing camera content, which is a unique skill [to create]. … The commentators and creators [we have involved in our Met Gala strategy] really excel at this and are set to insightful and engaging content around the Gala.”
In addition, at the Mark Hotel, Instagram will host its annual Met Gala watch party, to which it’s invited 50 of the most well-known fashion and pop culture creators. Along with host Blakely Thornton (@blakelythornton; 140,000 Instagram followers), they’ll include Parker Kit Hill (@parkerkithill; 465,000 Instagram followers), Peyton Dix (@peytondix; 65,000 Instagram followers) and Clarar Perlmutter (@tinyjewishgirl; 144,000 Instagram followers). They will also be encouraged to offer up their expert commentary on the event’s red carpet looks on Instagram and Threads.
“The party has become one of the best activations we do all year,” said Chen, based on impressions from the creators’ content.
Threads, which as of April 2024 had 150 million active users, has become a hub for discussions and content sharing alongside X. Over the last year, it has rolled out numerous features meant to enhance user interaction, including polls, an in-app camera and tags.
For its part, Instagram owner Meta is using the Met Gala to test drive its Meta AI tool which it rolled out to more countries in April. Anyone tuning in to the Met Gala can ask Meta AI for trivia related to the Gala’s theme of “Fashion Reawakened/Garden of Time,” as well as ask for advice on seasonal fashion and makeup trends and generate concepts for future outfits.
