The Best (and Most Outrageous) Fashion Moments From the 2023 Met Gala

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On the first Monday in May, the famed steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art were filled with fashion insiders, art enthusiasts, and celebrities who came dressed to the nines to celebrate fashion’s biggest night, the annual Met Gala. This year, attendees took inspiration for their looks for the night from the museum exhibit, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty.

Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, was a distinctive talent in the world of fashion. Best known for his work as the creative director at Chanel, over which he presided for three decades, he was also the creative lead at Fendi and his own eponymous line. Lagerfeld was equally famous for being an outsized personality in the industry—his dramatic signature uniform of a tuxedo and high collared shirt, powdered white ponytail, fingerless gloves, and sunglasses, only upstaged his sharp wit, which he used to deploy irreverent, wicked, and sometimes cruel bon mots on many occasions.

Read more: Why the Met Gala’s Karl Lagerfeld Theme Is Controversial

While some attendees, like gala co-chairs Dua Lipa and Penelope Cruz wore Chanel couture gowns from the house’s 1992 and 1998 collections, respectively, others like Quinta Brunson—who donned a shimmering pale pink Prabal Gurung column gown with a dramatic train and a camellia embellishment, a nod to Chanel’s trademark blossom—paid homage to Lagerfeld’s work at Chanel with looks by other designers. Others, like the designer Tommy Hilfiger, chose to channel the legendary designer himself in a suit he designed with vintage Chanel fabric and a high-collared shirt gifted to him by Lagerfeld, something that Lagerfeld, who once referred to himself as “a caricature of myself,” would no doubt be amused by. Others took a more conceptual approach to the theme, like Michaela Coel, who embodied the spirit of Lagerfeld in a sheer gold embellished gown by Schiaparelli.

However, the most scene-stealing look of the night may have gone to Doja Cat, who channeled Choupette, Lagerfeld’s beloved and very glamorous cat, on the red carpet in a glittering white Oscar de la Renta gown and a prosthetic cat nose for her Met Gala debut.

Here’s a look at the best (and most outrageous) looks from the Met Gala red carpet.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna attend the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023 in New York City.Mike Coppola—Getty Images

Cardi B

Cardi b
Cardi BMike Coppola—Getty Images

Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal
Pedro PascalTheo Wargo—Karl Lagerfeld/Getty Images

Sydney Sweeney

Sydney SweeneyMike Coppola—Getty Images

Jeremy Strong

Jeremy StrongJamie McCarthy—Getty Images

Jessica Chastain

Jessica ChastainChristopher Polk—WWD/Getty Images

Doja Cat

Doja CatJohn Shearer—WireImage/Getty Images

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa Michael Buckner—Variety/Getty Images

Michaela Coel

Michaela Coel Dimitrios Kambouris—The Met Museum/Vogue/Getty Images

Suki Waterhouse and Robert Pattinson

Suki Waterhouse and Robert PattinsonDimitrios Kambouris—The Met Museum/Vogue/Getty Images

Kate Moss

Kate Moss Dimitrios Kambouris—The Met Museum/Vogue/Getty Images

Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell Dimitrios Kambouris—The Met Museum/Vogue/Getty Images

Quinta Brunson

Quinta Brunson Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images

Anne Hathaway

Anne HathawayJohn Shearer—Getty Images

Gisele Bundchen

Gisele Bundchen Kevin Mazur—MG23/The Met Museum/Vogue/Getty Images

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Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang@timemagazine.com