Global Courant 2023-05-02 09:44:54
This year’s gala celebrates the life and work of the German-born designer and coincides with a new exhibition from the Costume Institute.
Top stars from the worlds of fashion, film, politics and sports have celebrated the late king of couture, Karl Lagerfeld, at the annual Met Gala.
Among the guests was actor Jared Leto who dressed up as Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette for the red carpet. The spoiled cat had expressed regret earlier in the day for not attending, with the cat’s Instagram account thanking her for the tribute.
Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Michelle Yeoh, singers Cardi B and Bad Bunny, basketball superstar Brittney Griner and models Gisele Bundchen and Kate Moss were also among the hundreds invited to Monday night’s event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Griner, a two-time Olympic champion, has vowed to use her notoriety after being released after nearly 10 months of detention in Russia in a high-profile prisoner swap to campaign for the release of other Americans held abroad.
“I was able to come home,” Griner told Vogue at the star-studded gala. “A lot of families that don’t get the availability, you know, that I have with the media, so just being there every day, being a voice for those families so they don’t feel left behind or forgotten at all.”
The event’s guest list is led by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who took over the charity gala in the 1990s and turned it into one of the fashion industry’s biggest extravaganzas.
Professional basketball player Brittney Griner uses her fame to advocate for Americans imprisoned abroad (Angela Weiss/AFP)
The event is always held on the first Monday in May and this year celebrates the German-born Lagerfeld, coinciding with the opening of a Costume Institute exhibition dedicated to his life and work.
Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, designed clothes for Chanel, Fendi, and Chloe, as well as his namesake label, and most of the stars wore his vintage designs or outfits that reflected his aesthetic. Black and white were the predominant colors and many were draped with pearls.
Rihanna arrived last and had the red carpet to herself with her partner ASAP Rocky.
Dressed in white Valentino, airy camellias – the flower synonymous with Chanel – graced the hood of her cape.
The singer, who is expecting her second child, wore white fingerless gloves, mirroring Lagerfeld’s gloves, who were also known for being late.
Rihanna and ASAP Rocky were the last to arrive at the gala, the theme of which was inspired by Karl Lagerfeld (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)
Lagerfeld also sparked controversy, criticizing larger women despite a public battle with his own weight, and mocking the #MeToo movement and those who came forward with claims of sexual misconduct.
“The show really focuses on Karl the designer, his works rather than his words,” the Costume Institute’s chief curator Andrew Bolton told AFP news agency. “We have not included any of his more controversial or offensive comments.”
The ball is by invitation only, with single tickets costing $50,000 and tables starting at $300,000.
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