It's the first Monday of May, which means the Met Gala is back, with A-Listers descending upon the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for fashion's most extravagant night.
While last year's theme leaned into the lavishness of the Gilded Era, this year is focusing on a different legacy of luxury: "In honor of Karl" is a tribute to the life and career of Karl Lagerfeld, the powerhouse — and often controversial — designer who transformed some of fashion's most famous houses. Lagerfeld became synonymous with Chanel in the decades he served as creative director, and when he died in 2019, at age 85, he was still helming Chanel and Fendi, where he led design for more than half a century, as well as his own eponymous label.
The Met Gala theme is based on the Costume Institute's spring show "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," which is a posthumous retrospective of the German fashion designer's work.
Co-chairing this year's event along with Vogue's global editorial director Anna Wintour are Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer and Penélope Cruz, the last of whom made her runway debut for Chanel shortly after Lagerfeld's death.
Because of Lagerfeld's deep influence on generations of designers and models, the red carpet turnout is expected to be big, with stars paying tribute by channeling his best looks over the decades, or perhaps reinterpreting his own distinctive black-gloved personal style. Expected guests include Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez, Billie Eilish, Jenna Ortega, Pedro Pascal, Kim Kardashian, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
But some notable figures have revealed their intent to stay home this year, including Blake Lively — a Met Gala mainstay and former Chanel girl — according to People, and Choupette, Lagerfeld's beloved cream-colored cat, who was rumored for months to be red carpet-bound. (Choupette's handlers posted on Instagram that she turned down "many" invitations and thanked her 162,000 followers for their "unconditional support.")
Scroll down to see some of the event's best fashion. This article will be updated as the red carpet unfolds.
