The Met Gala, one of the biggest dates in the fashion industry diary, has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, host Anna Wintour has said.
The gala, which benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, usually takes place on the first Monday of May each year.
This year’s exhibition, titled About Time: Fashion and Duration, had been sponsored by luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton and was scheduled for May 4.
The #MetGala has been postponed indefinitely. https://t.co/hJ6Z7gT1EW
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) March 16, 2020
Writing on Vogue’s website, editor-in-chief Wintour said: “Due to the unavoidable and responsible decision by the Metropolitan Museum to close its doors, About Time, and the opening night gala, will not take place on the date scheduled.”
New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art had previously announced it was closing its doors as a preventative measure against the coronavirus.
New York has declared a state of emergency while Donald Trump has called for Americans of all ages to avoid gatherings of groups of more than 10 people.
He also advised against visiting restaurants and bars in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus.
This is not the first time the Met Gala, which attracts the biggest names in the entertainment industry, has been forced to change its plans.
In 2002, it was cancelled in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks.