What Does Camp Mean in Fashion?
Learn about camp aesthetics and their significance for the LGTBQIA+ community It's May 6, 2019, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Diverse artists, creatives, and millionaires gather at the Metropolitan Museum to attend the prestigious Met Gala. The event's red carpet is packed with vibrant gowns and eye-catching shapes. The Met Gala is a fundraising event for the Costume Institute–a branch of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art that is responsible for documenting major achievements in fashion and trends. Organized by Vogue magazine, it is one of the most extravagant balls in the world. It is also one of the most important days of the year for fashion enthusiasts and internet users, who will analyze every outfit. In May 2019, the theme was "Camp: Notes on Fashion," inspired by American writer and philosopher Susan Sontag's 1964 essay Notes on Camp. In this essay, Sontag, now considered the leading expert on the subject, defined the camp aesthetic and its significance.