Baltimore MET Gala: A Night of Timeless Style and Local Pride
- K Wilder
- Sep 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 17
On Saturday night, the Baltimore MET Gala transformed a hotel ballroom at Maryland Live Casino into a shimmering corridor of past, present and future. Now in its fourth year, the event has become Baltimore’s most ambitious attempt to fuse high fashion, art and philanthropy into a single spectacle, a local answer to the glamour of Manhattan’s Met Gala, but rooted in the city’s own narratives.
The theme this year, “Timeless: The Evolution of Style – Past, Present, Future,” invited guests to draw inspiration across eras. “This evening’s Baltimore Met Gala has a TIMELESS theme inviting attendees to capture past, present or future,” wrote community leader Ericka Alston on Facebook before the event. “I went with past and will be …” Her trailing ellipsis echoed the night’s anticipation: no one knew exactly how the hundreds of looks would land on the red carpet.
By early evening, that red carpet had become a stage for sequins, metallics, heritage prints and sculptural silhouettes. WBAL-TV’s own social feed praised the show for its innovation. “I have to say for the first time in a very long time I love 99% of what is being shown,” one post read. “Inventive, creative, elegant, beautiful.”
Megan Rivers, the WBAL anchor who hosted portions of the evening, gave credit to designer Sean Bellamy for her multiple wardrobe changes. “Sean Bellamy designed all three look[s] I wore for The Baltimore Met Gala this weekend,” she wrote on Facebook afterward. “When I say you stole the show!!!!”
The event’s organizers, LaRian Finney of The Finn Group and Derrick Chase of Chase Executive Holdings, curated more than fashion. Local artists such as Ernest Shaw, Alma Roberts and Melissa Sutherland Moss displayed work alongside the runway; QR codes allowed guests to commission pieces on the spot. Chef Azikiwe “Zik” DeVeaux designed a culinary program meant to match the glamour of the visuals.
Even in the opulence, there was an insistence on purpose. Proceeds supported the Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center in West Baltimore’s Upton neighborhood, connecting the night’s glitter to a bricks-and-mortar project with community impact.
The gala’s tiered tickets and private lounges did more than signal prestige — they helped create a carefully curated atmosphere where guests could immerse themselves fully in the experience. Rather than clashing with inclusivity, the event’s exclusivity lent it a sense of aspiration and polish, elevating Baltimore’s creative community and giving the evening the sheen of a world-class gala. For one night, Charm City felt as glamorous as any fashion capital, while still telling its own story.
For guests, the Timeless theme gave license to reinterpret history. “So if I’m gonna come with my Harlem Renaissance, if I come with something from the ’60s or futuristic, it’s applicable to today,” said one attendee in a WMAR-2 News video about the theme reveal. That sense of permission — to look back, to leap ahead — gave the evening its spark.
And as the lights dimmed and the last looks left the runway, the social media posts were still multiplying. The city had dressed up, stepped out and told its own story — timeless, and still unfolding.
View the slideshow from this amazing event!!!!
Comments