Two of the most fascinating worlds are working together once again. Apple will sponsor next year’s Met Gala and its designer in chief Jony Ive will even co-host the event with Taylor Swift, Idris Elba and Anna Wintour. This is another effort from Apple to break into the fashion scene.
This year’s theme is also quite relevant for Apple as it is about fashion and technology — “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.” And this is exactly what Apple is trying to prove with its Apple Watch — you can make a gadget that is also a fashion accessory. The Apple Watch Hermès is also a move in this direction.
As a reminder, the Met Gala is the Costume Institute’s main source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, and capital improvements. For those unfamiliar with the event, it’s one of the most important fashion events of the year.
You can expect 100 high fashion and prêt-à-porter pieces in the fashion and tech exhibition. It will feature many traditional techniques from embroideries to leatherwork. The most recent pieces will feature modern machine-made items using 3D printing, laser cutting, thermo shaping and more.
The exhibition will revolve around the distinction between handmade fashion and machine-made fashion. These days, high fashion designers rely more and more on modern machines for their works. This wasn’t always the case, and the theme of the Met Gala will embrace this newfound relationship between tech and fashion.
In addition to the four co-hosts, Nicolas Ghesquière, Karl Lagerfeld, and Miuccia Prada will serve as honorary chairs.
The Met Gala will take place on May 2, 2016. It is quite unusual to see Jony Ive on a stage. For instance, the designer is well-known for his Apple videos in a white room, not for his keynote presentations. So it will be interesting to see his performance at the Gala next year.