Last fall we learned that Apple would sponsor this year’s Met Gala with Jony Ive serving as a co-chair for the event. Today the Chief Design Officer at Apple is in New York City speaking before an audience ahead of the annual fundraising event tonight.
Here’s a rundown on what exactly Met Gala, which raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, is:
The event’s theme this year is “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology”, where Apple is clearly relevant since bringing Apple Watch to market last year. Jony Ive previously spoke about Apple’s motivation for sponsoring this year’s Met Gala:
During a pre-event appearance before an audience this morning, Ive told attendees that Apple is “thrilled […] to help bring to life Manus x Machina.” Ive went on to say that Apple’s “goal has always been to try to create objects as beautiful as they are functional.”
A brief clip of Jony Ive’s appearance surfaced on Periscope as well:
And another:
LIVE on #Periscope: #manusxmachina #jonyive #metgala https://t.co/LRp5DxncRU
— Sheryl Garcia Reyes (@sherylgreyes) May 2, 2016
The fundraiser itself takes place tonight, and while it won’t be televised, the celebrity-packed event is expected to be featured on Instagram’s Explore tab.
Apple’s own Jonny Ive provides opening remarks at the #metgala press preview. pic.twitter.com/kxyu6dsAyl
— David Yi (@seoulcialite) May 2, 2016
With Apple sponsoring the event this year, Jony Ive is co-chair under Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Taylor Swift, who has lead the latest Apple Music ads, and Karl Lagerfeld, who received a rare gold Link Bracelet Apple Watch, are honor chairs. Apple favorites Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, and several other celebrities are also expected to be in attendance.
