Getting an invite to the Met Gala is no easy feat. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is somewhat notorious for her strict and selective guest list — and once somebody is “off,” it is nearly impossible to get back on. Paris Hilton was rumored to be on the “off” list for quite some time, but Wintour has apparently had a change of heart and has extended an invitation to the Simple Life star.
So what exactly happened to finally get Hilton an invite from Wintour to the Met Gala? There is a lot of speculation, from her connection to Karl Lagerfeld, the heartbreaking memoir she released earlier this year, to the simple fact that the trends of the aughts have reentered the zeitgeist. And Hilton is far from the only celebrity banned from the fashion event of the year.
Why Was Paris Hilton Invited to the 2023 Met Gala?
There are a lot of reasons as to why Hilton received an invitation to the 2023 Met Gala, but one of the strongest reasons has to be her close friendship with late designer Karl Lagerfeld, whose life work is the focus of the star-studded event.
“Karl has always been a fashion inspiration to me. Such an icon and innovator. Love that he is the theme of this years #MetGala,” she captioned a set of photos on Instagram with Lagerfeld the day before the Met Gala.
In the book Anna: The Biography, fashion writer Amy Odell talks about how closely Wintour monitors the Met Gala guest list:
“A night of excess and exhibition, the Met Gala is where Wintour flaunts her dominance over an industry that’s predicated on the understanding that there is an ‘in’ and an ‘out,’” Odell wrote.
“In Wintour’s world, people occupy those distinct buckets. Some are always ‘out’ — low-performing assistants, the Met’s event planners who tell her she can’t hang a dropped ceiling over a priceless statue, the Hilton sisters.”
Who Else Used To Be on the Met Gala ‘Off’ List?
Paris Hilton isn’t the only celebrity who has seemingly gone from Wintour’s “off” list to the “on” one. The Kardashian-Jenners were reportedly not allowed to attend the Met Gala for quite some time. Allegedly, Kim and her sisters were blacklisted until she started dating Kanye West. Of course, as we all know, the Kardashian-Jenners have been making quite the splash at the Met Gala for years since.
Tim Gunn Is Banned From the Met Gala
Most celebrities supposedly on the “off” list have had a go at the Met Gala and simply decided it is not for them. Tim Gunn, however, has explicitly been banned from the event, and explained how it happened after he had shared an antecdote about Windsor.
“It is very true. It is a crazy story, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a very matter-of-fact story. I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I’ve ever seen in fashion and I said, ‘It’s easy. It was watching Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards—two big hulking men—from a fashion show.’ All hell broke loose. It was insane. We’ve had an open war ever since,” the Project Runway star explained.
Donald Trump Is Banned From the Met Gala
Even though Donald Trump has attended previous Met Galas, Wintour made it clear that the former president will not be attending any future ones. During a segment on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Wintour was given the choice to answer who she has cut from the guest list or to eat pickled pigs’ feet. Corden asked “Who would you never invite back to the Met Gala?” to which she responded “Donald Trump.”
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