Met Gala celebrates Karl Lagerfeld: 26 must-see red carpet looks from fashion’s biggest night – Rihanna and Cardi B paid homage with iconic Chanel camellias, while Kim Kardashian and Dua Lipa stunned

May 2 , 2023

Dua Lipa, Penélope Cruz, Cara Delevingne, Cardi B and Doja Cat all donned unforgettable looks at 2023’s Karl Lagerfeld-themed Met Gala. Photos: Reuters, Epa

This year, fashion’s biggest night out paid homage to the late Karl Lagerfeld – and many A-list guests donned pieces from the brands he’d worked at, from Chanel to Fendi

Lagerfeld wore black almost exclusively and black-and-white combos abounded on the red carpet, from Barbie star Margot Robbie’s vintage gown to Kristen Stewart’s suit

Fashionistas and celebrity hounds alike were undoubtedly glued to their screens as fashion’s biggest night of the year – the Met Gala – unfolded on May 1. But elegant wasn’t entirely the hallmark of the evening.

This year, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute fundraising ball followed the theme “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” – a choice not without controversy, as the former creative director of Chanel is arguably just as famous for his cutting comments as his sartorial legacy.

Many in the A-list crowd of about 400 dressed in vintage looks from the fashion houses where Lagerfeld worked during a career of more than 60 years, while others – whether intentionally or not – donned ensembles that the late designer would have detested, going by past statements he made regarding fashion. And then there were the guests who apparently decided to pay homage to Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette.

Keep scrolling for the most memorable looks of the evening.

1. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky

US rapper A$AP Rocky and Barbadian singer/actress Rihanna arrive for the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, in New York. Photo: AFP

Rihanna shut down the Met Gala carpet Monday encased in white camellias on a jacket with a long train gown.

In the spirit of Lagerfeld himself (he was not often on time), Rihanna and her Valentino couture had the carpet to themselves save her partner, A$AP Rocky, who wore a red tartan skirt over crystal-studded jeans with a train of his own. They showed up well past everyone else.

Around her neck was a short Bulgari necklace in Akoya cultured pearls and pearl-shaped diamonds.

2. Jared Leto

Jared Leto attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” exhibition on May 1, in New York. Photo: Invision/AP