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Jony Ive opens Apple sponsored Met Gala event in NYC

<a href="https://twitter.com/jimshi809/status/727152012517871617">via Jim Shi</a>

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 Met Gala, formally called the Costume Institute Gala and also known as the Met Ball, is an annual fundraising gala for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. It marks the grand opening of the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit. Each year’s event celebrates the theme of that year’s Costume Institute exhibition, and the exhibition sets the tone for the formal dress of the night since guests are expected to choose their fashion to match the theme of the exhibit. Each year the event also has honorary celebrity event day chairpersons.

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:

“As products become more personal, something that is worn on the wrist put us in the space of fashion,” Ive said. On the relationhip between fashion and tech, the theme of this year’s Met Gala, Ive said that it’s an issue that’s close to his heart. “These are issues close to our hearts,” the Apple executive remarked.. “Our understanding will temper and define future products we’re working on. We’re only starting.”

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:

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.

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.

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Comments

  1. jmiko2015 - 8 years ago

    If you look closely, he uses the thinnest paper ever made

  2. William - 8 years ago

    He’s certainly filled out a bit over teh years.. I appreciate he’s practically a body builder, but..

    • rogifan - 8 years ago

      Let’s see a picture of you so we can critique your appearance.

      • Charlypollo - 8 years ago

        Let’s see your ID so we can be sure you’re not a stalker asking for strangers pics.

  3. Don Horne (@DonHorne) - 8 years ago

    Apple’s hobnobbing with celebrities seems to be their main focus these days.

    • modeyabsolom - 8 years ago

      I get that feeling too and it really peeves me off! Focus on great and innovative products not bloody galas, celebrity cred and that 80/20 consensus ratio! (Tim Cook here’s looking at you!) Apple’s executive team like Ahrendts, Ive, Cue etc…come across as pompous entitled and smug now, where once I had admiration for them.

  4. Adam Cohen - 8 years ago

    I love Apple and still think they’re the best OEM but this is the type of crap that Jobs would have never gone for. Apple watch, iPhone6 SE, not happening. This is a major limitation of Cook, who number one is not a creative, and secondly wants to manage from consensus. The ability to actually create new categories is very limited and will be a significant struggle for them to regain without fresh leadership.

  5. It would be a good idea for him to skip this stuff and go figure out how to manufacture pro computers that people want to buy.

    • rogifan - 8 years ago

      No it would be a good idea for people here to figure out how not to be so predictable with their comments. That’s more boring than anything Apple is doing these days.

      • vanilla199 - 8 years ago

        It goes to show how annoyed people are with apple’s products and approach to updates nowadays.

      • dksmidtx - 8 years ago

        Must be tough being an Apple sycophant these days…

    • rnc - 8 years ago

      A Pro computer is not something you WANT to buy, it’s something you NEED to buy.

  6. Thomas Massengale - 8 years ago

    Can somebody tell Tim Cook and Angela Ahrendts that Apple’s brand was an egalitarian one, albeit with taste. These two seem intent on rebranding the company as the darling of the 1%, and Sir Jonny seems to be playing along. It’s all rather crass.

    • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

      I get the sentiment, but the pricing and audience has never been exactly blue-collar. There were U2 iPods whose price couldn’t compete with Creative Zen players.

      • chanedde - 8 years ago

        There’s a difference between a signature edition and a higher quality version as they did it with the apple watch though

  7. Carl Wertz (@cdw5510) - 8 years ago

    I find these comment awesome. I to love Apple products however I sometimes get the feeling that they are making stuff for themselves. There comes a point where you can’t stay on top forever and I think the time is approaching or is here now. Bottom line is they make great products, I guy a new desktop or laptop every 4 – 6 years. However the phone is what is lacking now a days…Just one mans opinion.

    • rnc - 8 years ago

      “I sometimes get the feeling that they are making stuff for themselves.”

      That has always been the case since Steve Jobs returned.

      Is that a bad thing? Making a device that you want to buy?

      I think the iPhone is great, and they could imporve greatly the Mac in both hardware and software, and the iPad in software.

  8. dksmidtx - 8 years ago

    So this is why design has been slacking off because their fearless leader is busy with more important pursuits…my 401(k) thanks you…

  9. charismatron - 8 years ago

    Move over Morgan Freeman: it’s virtually impossible to read an Ive quote NOT in the Ive voice.

    #unapologeticallyplastic

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.