It’s a new era! Influencers, TikTok stars and YouTubers took center stage during the 2021 Met Gala on Monday, September 13.
The prestigious charity event, which is considered one of the biggest nights in fashion of the year, has a carefully curated guest list that is approved by none other than longtime Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Only 700 people score an invite, and it’s usually a mix of A-list celebrities and heavy hitters from the world of fashion and philanthropy. This year’s theme is “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”
Tables at the event are usually purchased by brands or companies and can cost anywhere from $75,000 to $250,000, StyleCaster reported. Individual tickets can set partygoers back up to $25,000. Needless to say, simply attending the Met Gala is a huge feat on its own.
Having internet celebrities show up to the glitzy party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is relatively new. Italian fashion mogul Chiara Ferragni was the first influencer to attend the Met Gala in 2015 with Brazilian designer Francisco Costa. The following year, blogger-turned-actress Tavi Gevinson walked the red carpet.
While Liza Koshy held it down for the vloggers in 2018, 2019’s guest list saw a spike in influencers with the Liza on Demand star, Lilly Singh, James Charles and Camila Coelho.
The presence of internet stars at the Met Gala has ruffled some feathers among those who do not think influencers, YouTubers and TikTok stars hold a high enough celebrity status to attend the yearly event.
Some backlash began before this year’s event when an alleged leaked seating chart began circulating that showed several influencers would be in attendance, including Addison Rae, Emma Chamberlain and Dixie and Charli D’Amelio.
YouTuber and makeup mogul Nikita Dragun clapped back at the haters over the situation.
“B—h, if you have a problem with influencers at the Met Gala, influencers in fashion, influencers in music, influencers creating business, get the f—k over it, b—h,” Nikita said via Instagram Stories. “I’m so tired of seeing comments of people being like, “Oh my God, why are they inviting influencers to the Met Gala? Oh my God, why do influencers model? Oh my God, why are influencers creating so many beauty brands?’ It’s like get the f—k over it.”
The Dragun Beauty founder added, “I’m so tired of this narrative of influencers not being celebrities. B—h, we are. We m—her f—king are, b—h. You’re f—king watching. I’m so [heated] because I see these comments not only on my posts but literally everyone … It’s like, b—h, you guys are the ones who build us up.”
Keep scrolling to see the influencers and YouTubers who attended the 2021 Met Gala!