Anna Wintour and Met curator reveal rule breaks that would lead to celebrities being uninvited from gala

Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton, who is the curator at the Met’s Costume Institute, revealed that if celebrities break certain rules inside the annual fundraiser, they will not be invited back the next year.

Wintour and Bolton spoke about the policies in the annual gala during an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King published 1 May ahead of this year’s event. The British museum curator pointed out the two major rules that could not be broken in the museum: no smoking or touching the artwork.

“Those would be no-nos,” Bolton said when recalling how stars have smoked in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s restrooms.

In 2017, celebrities like Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson and Marc Jacobs were pictured smoking cigarettes in the bathroom at the Met Gala. It was later reported that board members and donors had expressed their dismay over guests smoking at the event, with one saying it was “disrespectful to the art collection”.

After those complaints were made, guests at the 2018 Met Gala were informed that it was “illegal to smoke in the museum”, according to Page Six.

Regardless of the rules breaks that have occured in the past, Wintour noted that she thinks quite carefully when curating her star-studded guest list.

“We’re always interested in trying to reflect a cultural moment, and what we feel is happening at the world in any given time,” she told King.

When King asked how she responds to stars who are upset about not getting an invitation, Wintour said: “Every year is different and we try and curate the guest list in a way that makes sense for whatever the theme of the exhibition is.”

She continued: “Every year we try and make it different, have different people come. So obviously there’s always next year.”

This year, the Met Gala was in honour of Wintour’s late friend and fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld. The dress code was also “In honour of Karl” and saw celebrities dressed in different brands that Lagerfeld worked with throughout his career.

Notably, the theme also sparked widespread backlash due to Lagerfeld’s controversial past. Along with making derogatory comments about marginalised groups and public figures, he also frequently criticised women.

Actor Jameela Jamil condemned the decision for the Met Gala to be dedicated to Lagerfeld shortly after it was announced last year. On Instagram at the time, the actress recalled the “distinctly hateful way” the designer used his platform, “most towards women”.

Just before the gala took place on Monday, many models protested Anna Wintour’s decision to honour Lagerfeld through the theme of the gala. 

During Wintour’s appearance on CBS Mornings, King brought up the backlash over the theme. In response, Wintour described Lagerfeld as “a complicated man” and defended Bolton’s choice to highlight his designs in the Met’s Costume Institute.

“I think Andrew’s decision [was to] really focus on the work. It’s not a biography. There are documentaries and books that cover all sides of Karl’s life,” she said. “We’re really focusing on his work.”