It’s over! The night everyone and their moms have been anticipating all year. The night celebrity enthusiasts everywhere stop dead in their tracks and proceed to professionally judge outfits from behind a screen in their sweatpants. The night fashion students look forward to more than their own birthdays.
MET GALA NIGHT is officially over! Centered around the controversial fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld, this year’s Met Ball saw a star-studded guest list, a lot of black and white, pregnancy announcements, accidental outfit twinning, and an unusual amount of cat-inspired outfits.
The internet has already been flooded with comments, videos, articles, edits, and much more of people putting in their two cents’ worth about the 2023 Met Gala’s red carpet looks. Take a look at this year’s theme, A-lister guests, hosts, outfits, and much more below!
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What is the Met Gala?
As everyone with even the slightest interest in fashion, pop culture, or Hollywood knows, the annual Met Gala, also known as the Met Ball, is the most glamorous night of the year, finding its fame in its celebrity attendees, hefty ticket prices, and most importantly the red carpet looks that usually range from breathtakingly beautiful to outlandishly grotesque.
But, really, what is the Met Gala, besides being an opportunity for the world’s richest celebrities to play dress-up? It is actually an annual fundraiser held on the first Monday of May every year, held to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City.
Additionally, the prestigious party doubles as an opening event for the Institute’s annual fashion exhibition that stretches over a few months. Being the sole department of the Met Museum with the burden to fund itself, the Costume Institute puts together the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit to raise money to continue its activities. With ticket prices increasing every year to ensure an exclusive guest list, the event is undoubtedly always a success.
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Met Gala 2023: Theme, Co-Chairs, and Other Details
With the official title “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” the 2023 Met Gala’s theme pays homage to a household name in the fashion industry-the late Karl Lagerfeld. Widely known for his tremendous contribution to the famed fashion houses Chanel and Fendi while being their creative director, Karl Lagerfeld was a famed German fashion designer who unfortunately passed away in 2019.
Notorious for his problematic comments and fatphobia, this year’s theme has divided the internet, with some even rallying to boycott the event. However, the night proceeded as planned, with guests showcasing their way of sticking to the theme in different ways.
Some wore outfits from Chanel and Fendi, some wore clothes from Karl’s line, and some wore attire displaying Karl’s signature aesthetics such as pearls, embellishment, black-and-white, tweed, and so on. Weirdly, some wore things that were a very obvious nod to Karl’s beloved cat Choupette.
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2023 Red Carpet
Although it’s now considered free real estate for memes due to its “toothpaste” color palette, the 2023 Met Gala Red Carpet has a 60-day long making process and Indian artisans behind it. Woven with Sisal, a sustainable fiber made from the bark of Agave plants, the carpet was produced in Alappuzha, Kerala, India, by a designer rug production house ‘Neytt’ by Extraweave and later hand painted in the US. This is the second consecutive year that the design house has been providing the red carpet for the Met Gala.
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Hosts
Besides the continuing host Anna Wintour, four other celebs were named as the hosts and official co-chairs of this year’s Met Ball. This year’s hosts were Dua Lipa, a sensational singer-songwriter. Penélope Cruz is a beautiful, globally recognized Spanish actress. Michaela Coel, a multi-talented actress and director, and last but not least, Roger Federer, an eminent former professional tennis player.
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Red Carpet Hosts
Organized by Anna Wintour, the long-time editor-in-chief of Vogue, it is only natural that the main Red Carpet live stream hosts would be selected by Vogue. La La Anthony (actress and American TV Personality), Chloe Rose Fineman (American actress and comedian), and Derek Blasberg (American journalist and TV Personality) are the ones who hosted Vogue’s official live stream of the red carpet this year. Emma Chamberlain (American internet personality) also returned to the carpet as a special correspondent and ended up going viral in her hilarious interview clips once again.
Sponsors
Breaking Instagram’s 2-year streak of sponsoring the Met Gala, this year’s ball was sponsored by three different brands. It is only fitting that the brands Chanel, Fendi, and Karl Lagerfeld grabbed the opportunity to sponsor a Met Gala anchored on Karl.
Ticket Price
With a whopping thousand-fold increase from the price of the first-ever Met Gala ticket, tickets to the 2023 Met Ball cost a hefty price of $50,000. This is a significant increase from last year’s price of $30000. What’s more, is that the price of a table costs $300,000, almost the price of a Rolls Royce or a Bentley!
However, more often than not, celebrities who make appearances on the red carpet are not the ones who pay for their tickets and tables. Rather, the tickets are bought by fashion houses that invite their chosen muses (who are typically celebrities) to showcase their work and provide exposure to their brand on the red carpet.
Where to Watch
As usual, this year’s Met Gala was live-streamed by the official YouTube channel of Vogue. Watch the complete livestream below!
This Year’s Red Carpet Stunners
Take a look at some of this year’s red carpet looks, presented by your favorite dazzling stars!
A$AP Rocky and Rihanna
Despite their fashionably late arrival, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna wrapped up the Met Gala arrivals with a bang. With Rihanna’s all-white outfit centered around Chanel’s representative flower-The Camellia, and A$ap Rocky’s recreation of one of Karl Lagerfeld’s past looks, the couple was absolutely on the theme and looked incredible.
Dua Lipa
Being one of this year’s gala’s co-chairs, Dua Lipa did not disappoint with her soft princessy look. Accessorized with a $10 Million necklace from Tiffany and Co., Dua wore a tweed Chanel gown from the 1992 Fashion Week. After the red carpet, she changed into yet another Chanel gown, this time a sheer black gown from 1995.
Michaela Coel
Michael Coel, another co-chair for this year, arrived literally enveloped in gold. She wore a sheer brown gown encrusted with over 130,000 jewels, which, unsurprisingly, took around 3800 hours to produce. The star was covered in Schiaparelli, with both her golden heels and gown being from the brand.
Anna Wintour and Bill Nighy
Sparking dating rumors, Anna Wintour and Bill Nighy walked the red carpet arm-in-arm. The Vogue editor-in-chief stayed on the theme, wearing a Chanel floral print dress. Bill Nighy chose to sport a simple navy suit. Despite the rumors, the two have been confirmed not to be dating.
Roger Federer and Mirka Federer
Keeping it simple with a Dior Tuxedo, Roger Federer, another co-chair, accessorized with a Rolex watch and Oliver Peoples sunglasses. He was accompanied by his wife, Mirka, who wore a floor-length semi-sheer pink Valentino dress with feather detailing. Both outfits were simple but elegant.
Penelope Cruz
Our final co-chair, Penelope Cruz, arrived at the Met bridal style with a wedding gown from Chanel’s 1988 collection. Paired with somewhat of a sheer sequined veil shaped like a hood, she walked the carpet with a simple middle-part bun and heavy hoop earrings. Another nod to Karl on her outfit was the belt around her waist, showcasing the Chanel logo.
Kim Kardashian
Arriving shrouded in strings of pearls, Kim Kardashian wore a taupe Schiaparelli gown, obviously having drawn inspiration from her 2007 Playboy shoot. This is also a nod to Karl, as one of his prime aesthetics was pearls.
Doja Cat
In an unusual interpretation of this year’s theme, Doja Cat opted to embody Karl’s cat Choupette through her completely diamond Oscar De La Renta outfit, complemented by her feline prosthetics and makeup.
Billie Eilish and FINNEAS
Exuding dark but feminine energy, Billie arrived in a sheer corseted black gown by Simone Rocha with applique all over. Joining her was a singer-songwriter, but also her brother, Finneas, who arrived in a brown trench coat, complete with sunglasses and a green button-up shirt.
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Jared Leto
With the most obvious nod to Choupette of the night, Jared Leto literally cosplayed as Choupette, except human-sized, complete with whiskers and paws. After initially staying anonymous with his cat head-on and causing pure chaos to brew for a while on the carpet, Jared eventually took it off and revealed himself. The actor later, on the carpet, changed into a much more normal black ensemble, right in line with the theme.
Lil Nas X
Rapper Lil Nas X arrived with a much more ornate take on a Choupette-inspired outfit. Although not really an outfit, since he only wore a thong, the star was covered in silver paint and dazzling gems. With his jewel-encrusted feline face being the highlight of his “outfit,” Nas truly channeled his inner cat on the carpet.
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas
Twinning while staying on theme, the power couple both arrived in a black-and-white outfit to honor Karl. With Priyanka in a strapless thigh-high-slit black gown and Nick in a simple suit, both of them sported Valentino on the carpet, looking absolutely stunning.
Gigi Hadid
With another look channeling dark yet feminine energy, Gigi Hadid dazzled in a sexy sheer black Givenchy gown with a long train. She also added pearl and diamond accessories, completing the look perfectly. Her interpretation of the theme could not be more spot-on.
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Jennie Kim
Jennie from the ever-loved Kpop group BLACKPINK made her Met Gala debut this year decked out in Chanel, which is only natural for a Chanel global ambassador. Recreating a look from Karl’s 1990 fall ready-to-wear collection, Jennie wore a white minidress with black tights and heels.
Margot Robbie
Having donned a recreation of a look from Chanel’s 1993 collection, fans could not help but compare Margot Robbie to Cindy Crawford, who wore the dress originally. She shined in a one-shoulder black Chanel gown with a transparent gilded corset.
Kendall Jenner
The supermodel arrived at the gala in a sequined bodysuit from Marc Jacobs, paired with sheer tights, essentially going pantless. The bodysuit’s long sleeves swept over the stairs as she ascended, also turning heads with her dazzling big silver collar.
Kylie Jenner
Going for nothing too flashy, Kylie showed up in a two-toned red gown with a thigh-high slit by Haider Ackermann for Jean Paul Gaultier. She completed the look with a cover-up, an effortlessly messy updo, and earrings.
Anne Hathaway
Saying that “it was meant to be a marriage between Versace and Chanel,” Anne Hathaway honored Karl by wearing a gown with elements attributed to Chanel, such as pearls and tweed. However, the cutouts and safety pin details of the gown took the viewers’ minds back to the iconic safety pin dress by Versace.
Jennifer Lopez
With her abs on full, glorious display, Jennifer Lopez arrived at the Met in a silk and velvet Ralph Lauren halter neck dress. She paired the look with a fishnet-adorned fascinator and black opera gloves.
Emily Blunt
Honoring Karl with her black-and-white look, Emily Blunt paired her Jimmy Choo shoes with a Lace blouse and sequined black trousers with an attached cape. There was also an element of Karl in her diamond earrings, owing to the 12 pearls it had.
Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny, also honoring Karl, wore a Jacqemous white tweed suit with a cutout back, paired with a cape entirely covered in white rosettes.
Pedro Pascal
In an all-Valentino look, Pedro Pascal stood out with his fiery red oversized coat and exposed knees. The popular actor wore black shorts with a red shirt beneath the coat and also wore a tie with a gold ‘V,’ once again signaling towards the brand Valentino.
Bradley Cooper
Bradly Cooper’s outfit was a very basic take on the theme, with his simple black tuxedo. Nevertheless, he looked handsome as ever on the carpet.
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian
Being one of the two people to announce their pregnancy on the carpet, Serena Williams wore a black Gucci outfit, showing off her slight baby bump. At her side was her husband, Alexis, in a black tuxedo.
Olivia Rodrigo
Drawing inspiration from the American icon Audrey Hepburn, Olivia wore a silk and tweed Thom Browne dress, pairing it with very simple jewelry, a black manicure, and also debuting a new hairstyle with baby bangs that looked adorable on her.
Ke Huy Quan
Perfectly embodying Karl’s style, Ke Huy Quan wore a fitted Dior custom-striped suit. He accessorized with bejeweled black fingerless gloves, a matching tie adorned with a Christian Dior pin, and finally, a pair of black sunnies.
Amber Valletta
Inspired by the fans Karl used to use in the 80s and 90s, designer Hun Kim from Karl’s very own brand created this gown for Amber Valletta, the sustainability ambassador for the brand.
Pete Davidson
Covered in Fendi, Pete Davidson arrived at the Met in a casual ensemble. He wore dark purple dress pants, dress shoes, a long black trench coat, a black bucket hat, and finally, a color T-shirt with a swirl of colors on it.
Jack Harlow
Arriving in a simple suit, Jack Harlow also paid homage to Karl in a subtle manner. His Tommy Hilfiger tweed suit paired with a pearl pin was very much on theme.
Kerry Washington
Once again, we got a display of abs, this time from Kerry Washington, who walked the carpet in a two-piece black dress. She had on a beaded sheer bandeau top with a high-waisted figure-hugging mermaid-style matching skirt, accessorized with pearl and diamond jewelry.
Tom Ford
Once again, we see a basic take on the theme with Tom Ford in a simple black tuxedo.
Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling quite literally dazzled on the red carpet this year thanks to her silvery off-white bejeweled gown from Johnathan Simkhai. She went for bold smokey eyes and paired her dress with beautiful diamond earrings and other pearl and diamond jewelry.
Lily James
Arriving in a full-leather ensemble, Lily James debuted her micro fringe at the Met as she walked the carpet in a bustier leather gown with a voluminous skirt and a black Camellia flower. Her other accessories included fingerless leather Chanel gloves and De Beers jewels.
Emma Chamberlain
Matching one of the stripes of the red carpet this year, Emma arrived in a Miu Miu all-pastel blue look. She donned a cropped blazer with white trim and a matching skirt with a thigh-high slit. Another detail is her silver sequined midriff and wrists.
Taika Waititi and Rita Ora
This couple went on to be named best dressed by several netizens, owing to their gorgeous outfits that clearly were tailored for the theme. Rita Ora’s figure-hugging Prabal Gurung black gown with sheer panels and a long flowy cape, accessorized by Buccellati jewelry and chains on each nail, turned heads as she arrived, linking arms with her husband Taika Watiti, who was wearing a floor-length gunmetal silver blazer.
Phoebe Bridgers
Bringing her bones and skeletons aesthetic to life even at the Met, Phoebe Bridgers wore a custom Tory Burch dress made of duchess satin and chiffon. Her dress had an open back and a few other cutouts too. As a nod to Karl, the dress was studded with pearls in many places.
Sydney Sweeney
Adorned with two big chiffon black bows, Sydney Sweeney turned up on the carpet wearing a skin-tight mermaid-style pink Miu Miu gown embellished with many jewels, especially on the straps. Besides the bows, the Euphoria star is accessorized with Bucherer Fine Jewellery.
Simu Liu
Once again, we see another Karl Lagerfeld in Simu Liu and his take on a black tux. He showed up in a custom Atelier Versace black tuxedo, complete with a Toni & Chloe Goutal brooch, black gloves, a Vacheron Constantin watch, and jewelry by Jacob & Co.
Jackson Wang
Arriving in an all-black outfit by Louis Vuitton, Jackson Wang also embodied Karl’s signature look on the carpet this year. He wore a black cropped embellished jacket over skinny black pants, along with black sunglasses, black gloves, and black shoes.
Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae sported two looks at the Met, the first being a Thom Browne black and white jacket worn over a huge hoop skirt and the second being a dazzling sequined black bikini worn over a sheer black panniered dress. She paired these looks with huge white astronaut shoes and REZA jewelry.
Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh screamed elegance on the carpet with her black-and-white look at the Met red carpet this year. She wore an off-shoulder tuxedo-style black-and-white Karl Lagerfeld dress with long white sleeves and a belted train. She paired the dress with a gleaming diamond necklace.
Cardi B
With the most outfit changes at this year’s meeting, Cardi B changed her outfit three times, more specifically, four if you count her after-party outfit. Her first outfit was seen as she left her hotel, which was a busty pink tulle outfit with silver trim. Her second outfit, displayed on the carpet, was her black gown from Chepeng Studio, with a skirt made of black camellia roses. Lastly, she wore a Richard Quinn pink tweed gown.
Song Hye Kyo
Joined by Fendi CEO Serge Brunschwig and being a Fendi global ambassador herself, It is only fitting that Song Hye Kyo wore a soft pink two-piece floor-length satin bustier gown with white lace details from Fendi.
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Alia Bhatt
Covered in 1 lakh pearls, Alia Bhatt’s Prabal Gurung dress was inspired by Claudia Schiffer’s 1992 Chanel bridal look.
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Jenna Ortega
Bringing out her inner ‘Wednesday Addams’ alter ego, Jenna Ortega wore a corset Thom Browne dress with a number of haphazard but fitting frills and ruffles adorned by pearl and gold detailing. She had on a white collared undershirt and paired her outfit with silver jewelry and black and white shoes.
Naomi Campbell
For her 16th appearance at the Met gala, Naomi opted to wear a rare saree-style Chanel gown from the spring/summer 2010 couture collection. The dress had flowy pink fabric, which in appearance, looked like it was draped at her shoulder. The look also had silver accents with its silver trim, bodice, and jewelry.
Jeremy Pope
Winning the unofficial award for the most obvious honoring of this year’s theme, Jeremy Pope turned up in flared black pants and a massive 30-foot-long cape featuring Karl Lagerfeld’s face on it. Although it seems a little extra, we cannot help but applaud the effort.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
Yet another couple walked side by side at the Met Gala, with Keith Urban letting Nicole Kidman shine by wearing a classic black tuxedo. On the other hand, Nicole wore the exact same Chanel No.5 dress that Karl had designed for her twenty years ago to wear for the Chanel No.5 commercial in 2004. It was a pink tulle gown with sequins, feather detailing, and a long train.
Lizzo
A popular aesthetic at this year’s met, Lizzo’s outfit and gloves were dripping in huge pearls, a quite obvious nod to Karl. The singer looked great in her figure-hugging black dress that showed off her beautiful curves. She paired the look with pearl jewelry and an updo.
Cara Delevingne
Debuting her new platinum blond bob, Cara Delevigne had on quite a dramatic dress designed by Karl, with a plunging neckline and a humongous cape. It was a minidress that Cara paired with thigh-high open-zippered leg warmers, black heels, and silver jewelry.
Anok Yai
Voted unofficially as one of the night’s best looks, Anok Yai’s gold and silver ensemble took away the breath of many. Honoring Karl with the monochromatic palette of her Prabal Gurung dress, Anok Yai gleamed on the carpet with her luminous skin, her Mindi Mond jewelry, and her eye mask.
Go feast your eyes on the rest of the drop-dead gorgeous looks on Instagram!
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