The Met Gala is one of the most hotly anticipated events on the celebrity social calendar – not just for the fashion, but for the guest list too. Which is why we were extra excited to see even more of our favorite creators hit the red carpet interpreting the ‘gilded glamor’ dress code under this year’s theme: In America: An Anthology of Fashion.

The star-studded lineup is always a sight to behold, so for the likes of Avani Gregg and Emma Chamberlain to walk alongside Hilary Clinton and Alicia Keys proves that the influence of social content creators is finally being acknowledged by long-running events, as they shift into the world of contemporary celebrity – a world that’s run by creators.

OG TikToker Addison Rae attended the Met Gala for the second year in a row. And this year, she didn't need a seat at the YouTube or Instagram table to stand out all on her own. While Avani, who did join Kris Jenner, SZA, and others on the Instagram table has had quite a year collaborating with the social media platform and producing Reels for the official Instagram page.

This year also saw Emma Chamberlain return to host the Vogue red carpet interviews, just months after quitting her own YouTube channel to focus on her podcast and coffee company. But now it seems she’s already securing deals with some of the world’s largest media houses to create content for their channels – a creator's dream!

Derek Blasberg, Head of Fashion and Beauty at YouTube, even hosted an exclusive table of four YouTubers, confirming that the elite event is finally embracing the power of creators and their ability to increase the Met Gala’s prestigious reputation within a younger, digital audience.

Here, we’ll look at some of the biggest creators included on the Met Gala 2022 guestlist and the achievements that led to their recognition at the most prominent event on the fashion calendar.

1. Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung made her name as a TV personality and model in the mid-2000s, and is no stranger to the Met Gala. She launched her YouTube channel in 2019, and has amassed 478k followers and over 28 million views in that short time – not to mention securing a sought-after invite to join Blasberg’s table this year.

Unlike many new creators making waves at events like the Met Gala, Alexa has done things the other way round. Already a big name on the international fashion scene, she’s adopted the contemporary trend for content creation to lead her already successful career in a new – and even more successful – direction that adds extra cultural relevance to her celebrity standing.

On her channel, Chung creates videos focused on fashion, beauty, food and even a series on how to do various activities The French Way. She uses the platform to promote her fashion label and Netflix series, Next in Fashion. But alongside her business ventures, she has also developed a reputation as a fun and light-hearted creator who shares everything from Halloween costumes and fashion quizzes to studio tours and reveals of the contents of her handbag.

2. Lena Mahfouf

French YouTuber Lena Mahfouf, or Lena Situations, has only been uploading her YouTube videos since 2017. Her fun, spontaneous videos have attracted over 2.2 million subscribers and 357 million views.

The quality of her content alongside her unique sense of style and friendly demeanor launched Lena to stardom, which has now spanned into TikTok – proving that cross-platform content is the way forward for creators.

The popularity of her vlogs and lifestyle videos got Lena listed in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and in 2020 she published her first book, Toujours Plus. So an exclusive seat at the Met Gala’s YouTube table was the obvious next step in the 24-year-old’s ever-expanding list of career achievements.

3. Mark Rober

Mark Rober is a NASA engineer-turned-science YouTuber whose spot at the Met Gala not only confirms our hopes that creators are now viewed as legitimate, hard-working celebs – but also that you don’t have to be all about fashion to make a splash at the iconic event.

Rober began making viral videos while he was still working for NASA. His YouTube channel now has 21.5 million subscribers and over 2.7 billion views which has led to his partnerships with other famous creators including PewDiePie and Mr.Beast. Following the success of his first-ever video, which received 1.5 million views in one day, he launched a Halloween costume company that made $250,000 in revenue in its first three weeks.

Since then, Rober has given two TEDx talks, worked on special projects for Apple, and starred in his own Discovery Channel series with Jimmy Kimmel. He even runs a 30-day online Creative Engineering class. When it comes to making content, few creators put out quite as much as Mark Rober. So his place at the Met Gala was well deserved – even if it did seem to come as a surprise to Rober himself!

4. Marques Brownlee

Like Rober, YouTube tech reviewer Marques Brownlee (known online as MKBHD) might not be front-of-mind when you think of the most fashion-focused creators. Which just goes to prove the impact of digital influencers when it comes to the evolution of the Met Gala invite list.

Diversifying the red carpet away from just actors, singers, and models to become a more rounded reflection of the stars the public want to see gives creators like Brownlee a chance to shine – especially since YouTube videos from the Met Gala in 2021 generated a massive 650 million views.

Marques, 28, wore a matte black suit to the event. But it’s not his fashion prowess that secured him a seat at the YouTube table. His channel has gained over 15.6 million subscribers and almost 3 billion views since it launched in 2008. In fact, former Senior Vice President of Google, Vic Gundotra, called Brownlee "the best technology reviewer on the planet right now".

From product reviews to interviews with the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Kobe Bryant, to his own podcasts, Smart Phone Awards, and online series, Brownlee is the perfect example of how true passion can lead to a lucrative career as a content creator – one that can lead to a seat at tables you never imagined you’d have a place at.