Friends icon Jennifer Aniston has opened up on why she continues to avoid a Met Gala appearance while the biggest names in showbiz take to the iconic event in New York
Jennifer Aniston has admitted it is her choice to skip the Met Gala after years of receiving invites. The Friends icon, 56, is a noticeable absentee every May when the biggest stars in showbiz take to the fashion event of the year.
The biggest names in the industry take in the brief and showcase their unique fashion blends, but it’s something Jennifer can’t ever see herself getting involved in. The star who played Rachel Green in the hit sitcom admitted the thought of taking to the glitzy bash “overwhelms” her.
She confessed putting on a full couture look and facing the famous staircase is just not something she would enjoy. “Yes, I have [been invited], but I don’t go,” she said.
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Speaking to Glamour Magazine, she added: ““It’s the getting ready, the putting on the dress. I’m a ‘jeans and flip-flops and tank top’ kind of girl.
“I love dressing up too, but for me it’s a mental game of…’Let’s get dressed up, put on a fancy dress, makeup, get your hair all ‘purdy’ and go sit in a big room with your peers.’ [And yes,] everyone’s there to celebrate each other and have some fun, but I get nervous.”
And she also revealed her thoughts on the criticism some stars receive and the intense scrutiny they face. “Some people find it like a sport where they build you up and then they love to tear you down,” she said.
“What’s the reason why people do it? Who knows? But I just try as best I can [to tune it out] because it doesn’t do you any good.”
Despite Jennifer’s self-imposed ban, the yearly event continues to be the biggest date in the fashion diary. The 2025 edition saw Anna Wintour announce the theme ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’, and the accompanying dress code is ‘Tailored for You’.
This year saw Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour along with actor Colman Domingo, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky, musician-turned-fashion-mogul Pharrell Williams and honorary chair LeBron James co-chair the event.
Held on the first Monday of May each year, the annual haute couture fundraising festival is Christmas for fashion fans at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Guests’ attempts at following the theme (or failing miserably) are scrutinised by sartorial critics worldwide, with men who turn up in boring black tuxedos often taking a bashing online.
Diana Ross shut down the red carpet at this year’s event as she stunned in a sweeping white gown that featured an 18-foot train embroidered with the names of her children and grandchildren. It marked the first time in 22 years that she had attended the ceremony.
The stunning design for the evening was the result of a close collaboration between Diana, her son Evan Ross, and Nigerian designer Ugo Mozie. It’s said that they came together to highlight a bespoke design that celebrated her family legacy.
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