Emma Chamberlain, Keke Palmer, Carolyn B. Maloney, Anna Wintour arrive at Met Gala

(13 Sep 2021) MET GALA KICKS OFF WITH MARCHING BAND, SPARKLY LOOKS The pandemic-delayed Met Gala and its fashion parade kicked off Monday (13 SEPT. 2021) night with a marching band and gymnast and early walkers in sultry, sparkly looks.        Keke Palmer wore a stunning, earth-tone body hugger with a train, while Ilana Glazer took her moment on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in feathery long sleeves and a creamy, high-neck gown.        Emma Chamberlain went for a gold mini with cutouts at the waist and chunky mirror and chain detail. Gala overseer Anna Wintour arrived early with a wave to the crowd accompanied by her pregnant daughter, Bea Carrozzini, in a floral design with ruffles at the neck.        The gala, which raises money for the museum's Costume Institute, was pushed last year from its traditional May berth and morphed this year into a two-part affair. It coincides with the opening of ``In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,''  the first of a two-part exhibition at the Met's Anna Wintour Costume Center.        This year, the gala is co-chaired by Timothee Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka. Honorary chairs are Tom Ford, sponsor Instagram's Adam Mosseri and Vogue's Wintour, the latter the doyenne of the Met Gala since 1995.        The two-parter marks the Costume Institute's 75th anniversary. The Met Gala raises the bulk of the institute's annual funding, including a larger gathering scheduled for May 2. That date reclaims the first Monday in May for the gala and will celebrate the exhibition's second part, ``In America: An Anthology of Fashion,'' in the period rooms of the museum's American Wing.        Considered fashion's biggest night, A-list guests from music, film, TV, tech and beyond are encouraged to embrace the theme of the new exhibition each year as they slowly make their way up the museum's red-carpeted stairs. Interpretation is everything when it comes to how they dress _ and how they enter.        The official dress code this year is ``American Independence,'' which leaves plenty of wiggle room for interpretation.        The Met Gala _ short for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala _ raised more than $13 million in 2019 for the Costume Institute, which is the Met's fashion department. It's the museum's only curatorial department that has to fund itself and has an important friend in Wintour, who tends the guest list. She has raised so much money for the Costume Institute over the years (with estimates up to $200 million) that the wing now bears her name.        Tickets cost $30,000-plus, but that doesn't mean the stars ante up. They're often hosted by brands and companies that buy tables for thousands more and are accompanied by top designers who dress them. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...