According to Vogue, the Met Gala showcases the most astounding fashion in the world. With outfits being worn by the biggest names in our culture – across so many fields such as, fashion, culture, sports, and politics – the event might be considered the Oscars of the fashion world. 

Although it officially started in 1948 as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it has grown to be so much more than that (Vogue). 

Today in 2021, months of work go into planning each look, with guests and designers collaborating to exhibit this year’s theme. 

The night of the event, the social icons will walk down the red carpet, enjoy a dinner and performance from an A-list celebrity, as well as celebrate and fundraise a new exhibit from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute (Vogue).

As for getting an invite, for even the top celebrities, it is harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

So do these influencers deserve an invite?  An influencer is a person who gets famous on social media by gaining a following. Then companies invest in these people because they are able to influence potential buys on their products. Potentially, making these people a large amount of money.

 Although having an enormous amount of influence on Generation Z that deserves to be recognized, many might say their boring or borrowed content shouldn’t constitute an invitation. With vastly different methods of gaining success, influencers are questioned whether they have worked hard enough to even sit at a table with Lady Gaga or Rihanna.

 According to NBC, a viral tweet imagined a conversation for when gala guest Lady Gaga runs into Rae at the event. “‘Waitress, can you get me champagne?’ Gaga asks. Rae responds, ‘I’m Addison Rae.’ To which Gaga says, ‘Okay Addison Rae get me some champagne.’” 

Later Addison Rae would respond to this tweet, replying, “I would do anything for @ladygaga.” 

Addison Rae’s quick response shows she can roll with the punches, and it is a sign she deserves a seat at the table. Not to mention what an influence this shows to Generation Z and how she could have handled it differently or even taken it more personally but didn’t.

Despite the fact that Addison Rae can roll with the punches, her outfit choice alone faces some backlash. The 203 Tom Ford for Gucci dress seems to have been worn before by Addison’s good friend Kourtney Kardashian. As seen on Kourtney Kardashian’s Instagram, there is a post of her wearing the same dress on Christmas eve of 2019. 

For a gala showcasing the most astounding fashion in the world, wearing a dress that has been worn before seems like a big mistake or a joke. Even a student here at Yorba Linda High School agrees, stating, “I think Addison Rae was wrong for wearing the same dress as Kourtney Kardashian, mainly because when we look at the Met Gala we expect to see something exciting and new, not the same old thing” Kylie Tsai (10).

Although Addison Rae’s dress faced some backlash, other influencer’s outfits, such as Nikkietutorials, were well received. 

The beauty youtuber made her entrance with flower galore. Her look featured a flower crown and a gown with the words “pay it no mind,” paying tribute to legendary activist Marsha P. Johnson, who made those words her signature phrase.(Teen Vogue)

According to Teen Vogue, “The colors and mood were on point; as one fan tweeted, ‘I knew nikkietutorials would make it to the Met Gala showing up like the makeup palette which I want to buy.’” This showed how this influencer came to impress, proving to everyone her invitation was not wasted. Her look even honors the transgender community that Marsha P. Johnson once fought for, celebrating their rights by walking the carpet to show what they have achieved. 

What do you think? Do you think these influencers deserve an invite? Do they deserve this recognition? Are they the new social icons Gen Z needs? Or are they people who have risen to fame by doing nothing, not deserving to go? Will their fame die out and their names become forgotten, or are they the next generation of The Met Gala?