A-listers took to the red carpet on Monday, 1 May, at the Met gala in New York to pay tribute to the late, legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld
ADVERTISEMENTThe first Monday in May is always a hugely anticipated event in the annual fashion calendar and this year’s Met Gala certainly lived up to the hype.
Stars from the fashion world and entertainment industry joined their host, American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, on the red carpet at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the work of late, great fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Each year, the glitzy event, closely watched for its over-the-top outfits and star-studded invitees, follows a different theme every year and 2023 paid tribute to the German designer with this year’s brief ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’.
Despite some controversy surrounding the choice of honouring Lagerfeld - thanks to his somewhat contentious opinions - the stars were out in force, with many dressed in his designs.
Famous for transforming Chanel and Fendi as well as roles as creative director for other fashion houses, including his own eponymous line, stars were asked to wear outfits “in honour of Karl”.
While many chose pieces from his back catalogue - including Nicole Kidman and Gisele Bündchen, who wore Chanel dresses they had previously modelled for the brand - some celebrities took a rather more unusual approach to the brief.
Choupette, Lagerfeld’s surviving cat, was the inspiration for many - with Doja Cat and Lil Nas X dressed as extremely glamorous versions of the feline. Jared Leto took it one step further, turning up in a full Choupette-inspired ‘mascot’ suit, removing the head at one point to reveal who had made the bold choice.
Although Choupette herself was not in attendance, it’s perhaps not surprising. The event is strictly invitation only and the guestlist is vetted by the formidable Anna Wintour; it’s not cheap to attend either, with individual tickets for the event this year are priced at $50,000 and tables beginning at $300,000.
Wintour co-chaired the event with tennis star Roger Federer, songstress Dua Lipa, actress Penélope Cruz and actress Michaela Coel and invited some 400 guests to celebrate Lagerfeld, who died in 2019 at the age of 85.
Towards the end of his life, Choupette was catapulted to fame, but paid tribute to her late human father on Instagram, with a member of her team writing, “Many people invited me to walk the red carpet of the Met Gala 2023 in tribute to Daddy, but we preferred to stay cosy and at home. We pay tribute to my Daddy every day since his parting and we are very moved to see one more day dedicated to him".
