See all of the images and credits after the jump

Kate Upton has really tried to push forward into the fashion world of late. That 'Cat Daddy' bikini video definitely didn't help but nonetheless, she hasn't been doing too badly. Over the past few months she's bagged a Muse magazine cover and has also appeared in an editorial shot by Terry Richardson in the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar. Despite her efforts, nobody expected the model to get an invite to the Met Ball on Monday and neither did she. If reports are anything to go by, she's taken matters into her own hands.

Today Page Six reports that the Sports Illustrated cover girl has paid $25,000 of her own money to make sure she could attend this year's Costume Institute Gala. According to sources, Upton will wear Michael Kors to the event and will sit at his table for the event. The move seems like quite a drastic one but one thing it does prove is that like her or not, she isn't going away any time soon.

Last year's Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition following it's incorporation as the the theme of the Met Gala was a big success - record breaking, in fact - so the pressure has been on for the Costume Institute to collaborate with a new designer this year to match the success. As expected, today they confirmed that next year's exhibit will showcase the work of Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada's designs at Prada.

“Once we got Schiaparelli as the core part of what we wanted to do, it became a logical jump to Miuccia. They are both Italian women, and even though Miuccia might not describe herself as a feminist, what we see is these two very strong women with a very strong aesthetic,” Harold Koda, Curator in charge of The Costume Institute, explained when asked about their decision to choose the designers for next year's exhibit. “They are both very provocative for their time,” he continued. “We thought it would be very interesting to pit these two women together in an anachronistic conversation.”

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Christian Dior Cruise Collection 2009

The fashion calendar as it stands is already crammed with annually important events - of highest importance comes the two seasonal Fashion Weeks, then there is the Menswear and Couture Fashion Week, the CFDA Awards, the Costume Institute Gala... need we go on. Add to the madness the newly invented 'Resort' season (or Cruise, Holiday, Pre-Spring, Pre-Summer, Pre-Collection - whatever you want to call it), and editors, buyers and the rest of the industry find themselves hard pushed for time and wondering where this invader season came from.

Though the resort season began as a small collection of labels designing for the lucky, and often rich holiday makers, it has escalated under the blind eye of the fashion industry, and has left many wondering what the consequences of adding a third season to the year will be. With over 75 resort collections being presented in the past month, The Cut took it upon them to ask key industry players their opinions of the new season, it's name and the viability of adding resort fashion week to the calendar.

Read The Cut's ten questions to industry after the jump

The 2010 Met Ball only recently came and went, but already, we have cryptic hints of what next year's theme for the event will be. Yes, there's a super-elite committee - the Friends of the Costume Institute - who help plan the vibe for each year's Costume Institute Gala as long as a year in advance.

After honouring Andrew Bolton, the curator of the Met, at an annual dinner in LA last week, the Friends - plus the likes of the Rodarte girls and Monique L'huillier - apparently allowed one of their secrets to slip to WWD. Harold Koda, curator-in-charge of the Costume Institute, said only this: “It involves a lot of drunk Brits. You’ll want to wear something that you can lift your arms in, maybe show some cleavage.”

The themes Anglomania, Superheroes and Model as Muse already have been taken. What do you think the 2011 theme could be?

Sylvana Soto-Ward can sigh a sigh of relief today. Not only did she manage to pull in a red carpet worthy guest list, figures released yesterday show that Monday's Met Gala raised $9million, the most the event has ever raised and almost twice as much as last year. Everything was riding on this year's events, especially since it was the first without Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who's been in charge of the Costume Institute Gala for the past decade.

Rick Owens usually likes to stay within a four-hour radius of his Paris home, and he estimates that he's been in New York just twice in the past seven years - once when his store opened in 2008, and now, for about a week. Although Owens has been making himself comfortable at the Bowery Hotel since Sunday, he ignored his invitation to the Costume Institute Gala, which he told WWD was for "reasons he'd rather not discuss." However, he did go to Mick Jagger and L'Wren Scott's after-party at The Carlyle.

Owens adds that he's been recognized more times than normal for this visit. "It surprised me because I usually consider myself pretty obscure. I get it if I’m in SoHo. I mean, people are really into fashion and stuff. But even so, I mean I was just kind of surprised. Maybe I’m not quite that obscure anymore.”

He added: “I love being commercial. I love making banal everyday things with my particular aesthetic. I almost feel like it’s corruption.”

After being promoted from accessories editor to special-events planner in July, Vogue's Sylvana Soto-Ward unsurprisingly has a lot on her plate right now - after all, she is planning Vogue's annual Costume Institute Gala, otherwise known as the Oscars of the East Coast. Whilst we'd imagined that such a fashionable event would take an unprecedented amount of preparation, just like we are, Soto-Ward was "... Shocked the planning started so early, but it does. It takes almost a year," she told The Cut, "You get two months off and then right back at it".

In previous years, sponsors of the event have been Marc Jacobs and Giorgio Armani, however this year, American retailer Gap will be funding the ball. "I think the Gap is perfect for the theme" she says, speaking of the Gala's exhibit, which is devoted to the fashion of American women between 1890 and 1940. "Yes, it's been sort of these high-fashion companies, but particularly in this economy and in this world right now where it's not all about high fashion but its about the mix between high-low, you know?" she continued, "It's certainly something we're trying to portray in the magazine and everything else we do".

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Although we often think of the Gap for its accessible line of basics, this year, we'll associate the brand with an event that's decidedly more high-fashion: the highly anticipated annual Met ball. The Gap is sponsoring the gala this year, and is - sort of - outfitting famous guests as a result. Gap designer Patrick Robinson will team up with Alexander Wang, Rodarte, Thakoon and Sophie Theallet to create gowns for Monday night.

M.I.A. and Zoe Kravitz have selected looks by Alexander Wang for Gap, while Kirsten Dunst, not surprisingly, has chosen Rodarte for Gap, as has Jamie Bochert. The brand's collaboration with Thakoon will be seen on Riley Keough and Kerry Washington, and Vera Farmiga and Jessica Alba reportedly will opt for Sophie Theallet. After the gala, the celebs' dresses will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to the Costume Institute.

In other event news, Taylor Swift - like Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel - is rumoured to be a guest of Ralph Lauren, while Michael Kors will take Chanel Iman, Natasha Poly, Carolyn Murphy, Brooke Shields and Diane Lane. Going with Kenneth Cole? Matthew Morrison of 'Glee' fame, plus Stanley Tucci and Emmy Rossum. Check back next week for full details...and first looks of all the great styles.