The news outlet Business of Fashion wrote that the Gala “has earned a place amongst top-tier events like the Oscars and fashion businesses are harnessing the wattage of the annual spectacle to promote their own products and agendas”. Hence, previous sponsors of the Met’s bonanza have included designers like Gucci and Versace. But in more recent years they have come to include tech companies like Apple and Amazon.

The Costume Institute is the only curatorial department responsible for funding itself, and it does so with ease.

Brands that are firmly outside the fashion industry can still capitalize on the gala. For instance, IBM Watson made headlines last year by collaborating with Marchesa on a “smart dress” worn by Karolina Kurkova.

Despite these restrictions, brands still decide it’s worth the high price of admission. “Exclusivity amps up the night. There’s this element of voyeurism, seeing who is in and who is out,” Stone says. “Even for just those few hours, the designers, celebrities and brands get highlighted.” The consumers that brands are targeting obviously can’t afford the outfits on the red carpet, such as Rihanna’s renowned Guo Pei gown, which took two years to make. According to Au, many labels use the exposure to create goodwill for their off-the-rack collections. “These runway collections are a marketing investment, not a profit driver,” he says. “They create demand for the more affordable, mass-market lines of the brand. It’s a powerful halo strategy.”