The Hirshhorn is throwing a party Thursday night, and during this summer spoiled by the pandemic, it’s set exactly where we all want to be: in the future. So obviously, it’s extra important to dress the part.

“Get dressed up. Do it. I don’t want to see basic – I want you to transform,” says Machine Dazzle, a drag queen and costume designer who’s hosting the Hirshhorn Virtual Ball. The hour-long event, billed as an “online fashion and art adventure,” invites – nay, demands – getting decked out in high fashion or costumes that represent this year’s theme: futurism.

“We don’t know what the future is, but we have dreams about what we want it to be,” says Machine, whose designs have been worn by such stars as Diane von Furstenberg, Cara Delevingne, and Taylor Mac. “That’s what I want to see.”

Melissa Chiu, the museum’s director, says last year’s inaugural Hirshhorn ball started as a way to “bring together the worlds of art and fashion.” It was a hit: The Washington Post described it as “a new kind of D.C. party,” and there wasn’t a person in the crowd who wasn’t dressed to match the theme (last year was all about surrealism), Chiu says. Guests were decked out in bizarre garb, and some were even spotted wearing antlers and vultures on their heads.

“It felt very much like a participatory party,” Chiu says. “There are few moments like that, especially in D.C.” And especially now. So the museum decided to do it again: Even in its virtual format, the ball is an excuse to get all dressed up and finally have somewhere to go. “I think we all need something to look forward to,” she says.

Proceeds from the event benefit the museum’s free programs and exhibits. In the past five years, the Hirshhorn says its fundraising events — including the first ball — have raised more than $6 million.

Throughout Thursday evening, future-focused artists will give presentations, and guests like Cate Blanchett — who was featured in Hirshhorn’s exhibit “Manifesto” last year — will make special appearances. Futurism, an early 20th century art movement, was disruptive and visionary, and so are the artists participating in the Hirshhorn’s ball. The Japanese artist Mariko Mori has created a walk-through of some of her most futuristic works, ending with a Japanese tea ceremony. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, who’s behind the Hirshhorn’s popular 2018 exhibit “Pulse,” will also be featured, among other artists.

Guests can enter a virtual fashion competition by posting photos of themselves on Instagram using the hashtag #HirshhornBall. Machine Dazzle and a panel of judges will decide who’s best dressed. The jury includes Black Panther costume designer Ruth E. Carter; D.C. performer Pussy Noir; Jason Wu, who famously dressed Michelle Obama; and Project Runway alum Austin Scarlett.

Of course, if you’d rather just watch, there will be plenty to eye up. The great thing about futurism is that anything goes, Chiu says. Her daughter designed her own costume, painting all the things she’s looking forward to on a dress. Machine Dazzle is still constructing his three – yes, three – outfits for the night.

“Look, if it was Beyoncé, she’d have 20,” he points out. “I have a mere three.” He’s concentrating on his head and shoulders, since Zoom fashion rules don’t apply to the invisible lower half, and expects his headdress to particularly wow.

Machine and the Hirshhorn team aren’t worried about the mundanity of virtual events: The outfits will be so good, it would be hard to tear one’s eyes away. Machine scoffs at the very idea.

“Maybe you have Zoom fatigue, but consider that you’re going to learn how to make two new cocktails that we’re inventing specifically for the event,” he says, and his “psychic vibes” tell him they’re going to be excellent. He’s named one drink the Car-Tini, in honor of the designer Pierre Cardin, and suspects the other will be dedicated to Afrofuturist musician Sun Ra.

Here’s some pre-party advice to look your best at the virtual ball – and all the other Zooms in your life.

Add props to your look. During a recent virtual dance party, Machine Dazzle grabbed a couple Styrofoam heads, which he has on hand to model headpieces and wigs. He animated them on-screen, so they were bopping to the music, two heads rocking back and forth, lips occasionally meeting. As you’re planning your outfit(s) for the ball, remember you’re free to enter the land of make believe. A pot or pan could be used as “some kind of crazy flying saucer,” he says: “Go to the kitchen and find some shiny modern futuristic things.” Machine also vouches for the effectiveness of waving a sleek hair dryer around on screen to help your hair blow dramatically in the wind.

Take a gander through the recycling bin. Reduce, reuse, recycle, Machine advises. An old newspaper can be reborn as a tiara, and aluminum cans – well, those are essential to his fashion. He’s in the process of emptying and cutting up cans and plans to weave the shreds into his electrifying headdress. “You’re literally throwing away materials you could be using in a creative way,” he says, urging ball-goers to make their costumes with supplies they already have at home.

If you don’t want to go all out, think hair accessories. Headbands are back, Chiu says, so consider a sparkly one – a subtle but festive choice. It’s a good option for those who “aren’t into the full regalia,” she says.

Create a backdrop. “We’re kind of reduced to this horizontal rectangle,” Machine Dazzle says. “Fill up that screen! Nobody wants to see your domestic interior. Make it theater.” He considered crafting a sculpture to feature in his background, but fears it would distract from his costume. Perhaps it will work for you: Grab a few recycling gems, and get building. Or create a frame for your screen by stacking Coke cans or other shiny objects around your screen.