Rocking the Met Gala, Alia opted for an ivory ball gown encrusted with 100,000 pearls, inspired by Schiffer’s signature gown.
Updated – Tue, 02 May 23 at 10:33am
Photo: Agency
New York: Rihanna closed the Met Gala carpet on Monday with a coat studded with white camellias and a maxi dress. Janelle Monáe sheds a heavy coat to reveal a see-through cage, and Jeremy Pope wears a 32-foot cape emblazoned with Karl Lagerfeld’s face.
In the spirit of Lagerfeld himself (he’s not always on time), Rihanna and her Valentino fashions had their own rug, saving her co-star A$AP Rocky from her own. They performed better than everyone else.
Around her neck was a Bulgari Akoya cultured pearl and pearl-shaped diamond choker. Lagerfeld was the honoree of the A-list gala, and many of the 400 or so people in attendance wore vintage attire from the fashion houses he worked for during his more than 60-year career. But elegance wasn’t exactly the hallmark of the night. Jared Leto dressed as Lagerfeld’s beloved furry cat Choupette. Lil Nas X was covered in crystals by Pat McGrath and Dior Men.
Bad Bunny, who showed up later at the Met Gala, was head-to-toe in bright white, and her long cape was also adorned with camellias, a Coco Chanel print Lagerfeld embraced. Monáe was styled by Thom Browne in a black sparkling bodysuit.
Cardi B donned pink first, then switched to an all-black ball gown with, you guessed it, Camellia. Most importantly, she said, “gave Karl, Chanel, and Karl’s house at the same time.” It was a man’s white-collared shirt with a black man’s tie. The costume designed to commemorate Lagerfeld was designed by Chen Peng Studio, a British cutting-edge design company.
“The Met Gala’s dress code was a tribute to Karl, and guests certainly understood the mandate,” said Alison Cohn, associate fashion news editor at Harper’s Bazaar. “They referenced many of the signatures Karl Lagerfeld developed over his six-plus year career.” Many used French terry (Teyana Taylor’s Thom Browne suits and Anne Hathaway’s Versace safety pin numbers). Also in camellias were Emily Blunt in a Michael Kors shirt and Adut Akech in a Carolina Herrera gown.
Dua Lipa wore a white ball gown from the Chanel archives, and Nicole Kidman chose a look that Lagerfeld himself designed for her 20 years ago.
And some bombshells: Serena Williams wore a sleek Gucci look when she announced she was expecting her second child. Gala co-chair Lipa wore a Tiffany & Co. diamond around her neck. She calls her beige dress by Chanel in 1992 “very, very special” because it keeps popping up on her mood board.
Claudia Schiffer wore the gown for her runway debut, although her gown had a matching hat. Lipa’s platinum necklace includes a center diamond of over 200 carats.
Indian star Alia Bhatt also chose an ivory ball gown with 100,000 hand-beaded beads in India, inspired by Schiffer’s signature gown. In her Met Gala debut, she wore a Prabal Gurung creation.
Nicole Kidman says Lagerfeld sparked her fashion spark. She wore a pale pink gown by Lagerfeld for the Chanel No. 5 ad in which she starred. The gown, decorated with 3,000 silver crystals, was designed for a commercial directed by Baz Luhrmann. “I’m so excited to wear it,” she told The Associated Press. “He was such an integral part of my life and so was his whole team. He was the one who really guided me in a way in terms of my love of fashion.” Kidman Harry Winston diamonds adorned her look.
“My favorite look is Nicole Kidman’s ethereal feather-sequined Chanel gown. Often, stars wear new pieces straight off the runway, or commission custom looks. A lovely statement of sex, proving that fine handcraft never goes out of style,” says Cohen.
Kim Kardashian, meanwhile, adorned her Schiaparelli outfit with hoops and hoops of pearls. Cardi B donned a pink coat with feathers in her head. Brittney Griner wore a suit in warm stone tones with a long Calvin Klein jacket, and her wife Cherelle Griner also wore a stylish white onyx Shoulder strap column dress.
Many in the crowd counted Lagerfeld as a friend, or worked with him at Chanel, Fendi, Chloe, or one of the other fashion houses he founded. Many guests walked on an unusual rug designed in one line, dressed in black. Lagerfeld almost exclusively wears this color. The combination of black and white is also very rich.
Kristen Stewart wears a suit with a colorful cropped jacket. Cara Delevingne honored her longtime friend Lagerfeld with a ruffled white shirt that looks short in the front and trails in the back. Ruffled shirts are Lagerfeld’s favorite. Classic colors don’t suit Viola Davis. She wore a stunning neon pink strapless gown with long feathers adorning the bodice.
Frenchye M. Harris, chief executive and founder of The Black Fashion Movement, an online fashion site, once described Davis in one word: “Amazing!” She called Anne Hathaway “inspired by Chanel but inspired by The brooch and camellia shape on the chest by Versace is “super cool and a perfect combination between the brands”. Gigi Hadid in black Givenchy with feathers, low waist and sheer tulle skirt. It took more than 300 hours to make. Kendall Jenner also wore black, no pants. She wore a shiny, long-sleeved bodysuit that was paneled like a train. She wore quirky, towering black boots, all courtesy of Marc Jacobs.
Jenner’s white collar is a nod to Lagerfeld. Her hair is pulled into a high ponytail. Rita Ora, also in black, complemented Prabal Gurung’s peek-a-boo sheer look. It’s silk tulle with bodice detailing and a sexy chiffon drape. A shoulder fell off.
Margot Robbie, who starred in this summer’s live-action “Barbie,” wore a black 1993 Chanel gown by Cindy Crawford in Worn for the first time on the show. Robbie said she was the last Chanel ambassador Lagerfeld handpicked. “I feel really good. It’s an honor,” she said.
The invitation-only Met Gala earned $17.4 million last year for the museum’s Costume Institute, a self-funded division whose budget depends on the gala’s success. This year the price goes up to $300,000 per table and $50,000 per ticket.
Guests from fashion, film, music, theatre, sports, technology and social media were asked to dress “in memory of Karl” by evening planner Anna Wintour, a close friend of Lagerfeld who first signed on in 1995 and took over The campaign took the helm in 1999. The party coincided with the Costume Institute’s blockbuster spring exhibition: “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” American fashion was last year’s trend. It follows a gilded charm and white tie. Camp was the theme of 2019 and was considered one of the weirdest sartorial presentations by the celebrity crowd.
Lagerfeld has worked for Chanel, Fendi, Chloé, Jean Patou, Balmain, and his own label, among others. This year’s five hosts included Wintour as usual, but also Michael Lacor, longtime Chanel ambassador Penelope Cruz and recently retired tennis superstar Roger Federer.
Cruz looked like a bride with a see-through hood in a white Chanel belted silver detail gown from the Spring/Summer 1988 collection. Asked how he came to co-chair the Met Gala, Federer said knowing Wintour was helpful. He said it made sense for athletes to attend the event, given their growing influence in the fashion industry in recent years.
“I think people in sports are becoming more fashionable,” Federer told The Associated Press. “We’re lucky to be on the cover more often now. It used to be models, good-looking people, not athletes.” Fendi, where Lagerfeld has worked for more than 20 years, was also represented. Suki Waterhouse wears Lagerfeld’s 2019 Fendi design in silk tulle with delicate flowers and birds on sheer panels.
Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette, was rumored to be attending, but her owner posted on Instagram earlier in the day that the 11-year-old feline was staying in Paris. Doja Cat’s cat-eared hood paired with a shimmering white and silver beaded dress was an ode to Oscar de la Renta. She wears prosthetics that give her a feline face and paws.
Chloe Fineman sported a cat-shaped bag and Emma Chamberlain in ‘Chouupette blue’, a pale blue hue created by Lagerfeld. James Corden also appears in the shadows.
As for Leto, he swapped out his cat outfit for a black cape look.
