Fashion and technology will collide Monday night at fashion’s most important event of the year: the Met Gala. The star-studded soirée brings out the best designer looks, which corresponds to the theme of the annual fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. This year, attendees will be dressed to the theme of “Manus x Machina: Fashion in the Age of Technology.”

The Met Gala is a highly exclusive event of 650 to 700 guests all chosen by Anna Wintour, the gala’s official host since 1995, and other Vogue staffers. This used to mean that the only way the uninvited got to see the gala was through the photos that surfaced later. This year, however, things have changed a bit.

Perhaps inspired by the technological theme of the exhibit, the red carpet will now be televised on E! on its special “Live From the Red Carpet” preshow and 7:30 p.m. red carpet coverage. Instagram is also dedicating its video channel within the Explore section to highlight the best videos from the gala beginning Monday afternoon, which will give those sitting at home an inside glimpse of the glamour.

Despite the E! coverage, the Met Gala is unlike any other celebrity event. It’s not the Oscars or the Grammys — it’s not focused on music or movies or honoring the attendees. It’s dedicated simply to high fashion in its most exquisite form. Celebrities and designers are often paired up, with each designer attendee typically dressing only one celebrity guest.

Whatever the attendees decide to wear is important considering the most extravagant and creative ensembles are talked about for weeks, months and even years to come. Last year’s theme, “China: Through the Looking Glass,” produced Rihanna’s potentially most talked-about gown ever — a gold, fur-trimmed, scroll-embroidered, Chinese couture cape with a train so long it required three handlers.

The 2013 “Punk: Chaos to Couture” theme was one of the most memorable with plenty of attendees showing off their wild sides. Cara Delevingne wore a heavily-spiked Burberry dress and Sarah Jessica Parker arrived in a giant Philip Treacy mohawk headpiece. Miley Cyrus spiked her hair and sported a stunning black fishnet Marc Jacobs ensemble.

The Met Gala dates all the way back to 1946 and some of the outfits still talked about now are from decades ago. Cher made a Met Gala memory in 1974 when she donned a barely-there Bob Mackie gown of sheer fabric, covered only by rhinestones and feathers. At last year’s gala, Kim Kardashian wore a similarly sheer style and said it was inspired by Cher’s gown from the ’70s.

This year’s theme means designers can get extra creative, incorporating the buzzed-about trend of wearable technology into their celebrities’ looks. As for Taylor Swift, one of the event’s co-chairs this year, we can expect something spectacular. In her recent “73 Questions” video for Vogue, when asked what she was wearing to the Met Gala, Swift said she’ll be dressed as a “robot with a sword.” Only time will tell whether she was joking or is somehow managing to pull off something that out-there. With technology in the mix, anything is possible.

Jackie Homan is a sophomore magazine journalism major. You can email her at jahoman@syr.edu or follow her @jackie_homan on Twitter.

Published on May 1, 2016 at 9:38 pm