Every year on the first Monday of May, The Met Gala dominates headlines with show-stopping looks and memorable red carpet moments. A fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the annual event has been notorious for its exclusivity.
This year’s theme, ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ The Costume Institute requested attendees to dress in honour of the late designer. An homage to the German enigma who was at the helm of some of the biggest fashion houses in the world, Chanel and Fendi were two of his most recognized tenures.
Frequently captured alongside his pampered pet ‘Choupette’, the designer who passed away at the age of 85 in 2019 was recognized for sporting dark sunglasses with his white hair tied up in a ponytail.
The star-studded event was flooded with extravagant outfits with each guest having their own interpretation of the theme. Common motifs spotted were the usage of pearls, black and white, plenty of Camellias, and a cat or two to honor the designer.
From guests dressed as Karl’s feline friend to drastic haircuts just for the event, here are some of the most memorable moments from this year’s Met Gala.
1. Fetching Felines
While the famous feline was unable to attend the famed event, she was definitely there in spirit. Different interpretations referencing Lagerfeld’s beloved cat brought her to the carpet from Chloe Fineman’s pink crystal cat evening bag, which she affectionately referred to as Choupette, to full-on transformations by some of our celebrities.
Rapper-singer Doja Cat purred in an Oscar de la Renta one-piece hooded outfit featuring a cat-ear silhouette and feathered train completing the look with a cat nose and mouth make-up sculpted by FX make-up.
While actor Jared Leto cosplayed and wore a massive fluffy catsuit channeling the renowned cat. We’ll leave it up to you, to decide who wore did it best.
2. Glitz and Glamour
Artist Lil Nas took Karl Lagerfeld’s glitz and glamour quite literally with nothing but body paint, intricate jewels & a silver thong serving high fashion Tin Man. His shiny metallic ensemble left little to the imagination by rocking just one article of clothing. His commitment cannot go unnoticed (literally) thanks to silver paint and rhinestones by Pat McGrath.
3. Daring hair transformations
If there’s one event that is worth shaving your head for that perfect fashion moment, it’s the Met Gala– well at least the ’Don’t Worry, Darling’ star Florence Pugh must think so. The actress debuted an iconic buzzcut on the red carpet complete with a feathered headpiece.
Model Cara Delevingne honors Karl Lagerfeld’s iconic white shirt and hair by donning a Shanel-Inspired “silvery blue” shag a reimagining of a Chanel Cruise 2013 shoot featuring different pastel pixie hairpieces.
Jessica Chastain switched up her signature red lock opting for a platinum blonde wig and finishing the look with dark Lagerfeld-esque shades in a nod to the designer’s signature look.
4. Outfit changes
Fashion Icon Rihanna definitely brought incredible pregnancy style to this year’s Met. She stepped out in an all-white ensemble with Camellias covering most of her body — and her head. After her arrival on the red carpet, Rihanna discarded the upper part of her dress and exposed a fitted bodice with spaghetti straps that showcased her baby bump.
It isn’t the Met Gala if not for the performances delivered on the steps by the stars. Janelle Monae delivers an outfit change exposing several layers of a Thom Browne ensemble. What started out as an oversized tweed overcoat transformed into a black, sparkly bikini which included a giant hoop skirt.
5. Baby Bump Debuts
Congratulations are in order for two celebrities after they decided to make the most stylish pregnancy announcement ever. Supermodel Karlie Kloss revealed that she is expecting her second child. She stepped out in a floor-length black gown from Loewe with white pearl necklaces and a belt that hugged her baby bump.
Retired tennis superstar Serena Williams unveiled her pregnancy after taking to Instagram before arriving at the Met with the caption “Was so excited when Anna Wintour invited the 3 of us to the Met Gala,” referencing her growing baby bump.
6. Keeping up with the Kardashians
Three Kardashian sisters were in attendance this year Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and Kendall Jenner paid tribute to Karl Lagerfeld in their distinctive styles. But Kim turned heads in as she turned up dripping in pearls in her custom Schiaparelli ensemble, a nod to late designer Karl Lagerfeld’s penchant for pearls. Several social media users drew a comparison between t the nearly nude photoshoot that Kardashian participated in during the first season of her reality television show. Whether or not this was planned, she definitely did amazing!
7. Jewelry out of Ocean’s 8
This year’s co-chair Dua Lipa looked divine in a white and black tweed ballgown from Chanel’s 1992 couture collection, originally modeled by Karl’s muse a white and black tweed ballgown from Chanel. But the talk of the town was her choice of accessory a never-before-seen Tiffany & Co diamond necklace. The white legendary diamond is over 100 carats and is reported to be over $10 million sparked Ocean’s 8 jokes.
8. Special Guest
Only in New York.
An uninvited guest showed up on the #MetGala carpet. It was a … cockroach.🪳 pic.twitter.com/3mJcAeHNxF
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) May 2, 2023
Our beloved stars weren’t the only ones who strutted the carpet in this year’s gala. Amid the crowd eagerly awaiting the arrival of singer Rihanna, the star-studded event was momentarily overshadowed by a cockroach, which drew the attention of numerous photographers and reporters who captured photos and videos that quickly went viral. That is one lucky cockroach I must say, well nut until it met its demise under a pair of Manolos.
