Our guide to 2023 Met Gala: who is Karl Lagerfeld? Which celebrities best represented the event’s theme?

The annual themes were an addition introduced by Vreeland. Some notable examples include 2013’s “Punk: Chaos to Couture”, examining how the subculture influenced high fashion, and 2016’s “Manus x Machina”, which focused on how technology interacts with apparel.

Themes are significant for giving guests a harness for creativity and interpretation in their outfits. The 2023 Met Gala theme was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, a tribute to famous German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who passed away in 2019.

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Largely known for his work saving Chanel from financial ruin, the late designer also revolutionised several other fashion houses such as Chloe, Fendi and Jean-Patou, while also building his namesake label.

However, the Met Gala’s theme received a large amount of backlash because of the controversies surrounding Lagerfeld’s behaviour and comments. The designer was constantly critical of feminism and body positivity, and he made harmful comments about women’s bodies, calling public figures like Adele “too fat” and Heidi Klum “too heavy”. In 2010, Lagerfeld also caused outrage when he put supermodel Claudia Schiffer in blackface and yellowface.

Karl’s offensive actions made many people question whether he deserved the honour of a Met Gala theme. Actress Jameela Jamil even took to Instagram to slam those who attended the Gala for supporting “a man who was so publicly cruel to women, to fat people, to immigrants and to sexual assault survivors”.

Dubbed both a “psycho” and “genius”, Lagerfeld’s work was noted for being incredibly bold. One way was through his incorporation of unconventional sets into fashion shows – he was known for bringing the beach, a forest and even a space rocket to his catwalks.

The artist’s runway looks were also one of a kind; models were often bedecked from head to toe in elaborate accessories. Recurring embellishments included pearls, camellias and huge stacks of necklaces, while outfits ranged from simple, monochrome two-pieces to over-the-top wedding dresses.

These motifs were extremely influential to many of the outfits at this year’s Gala. But most significant were the homages paid to Lagerfeld’s beloved pet cat, Choupette. The cat inspired many of his designs and made appearances in several of his editorials. In continuation of Choupette’s impact on fashion, many celebrities at the Gala this year tried their best to emulate the feline’s dignified airs.

This year’s guest list did not fail to impress, with hosts including Dua Lipa and Vogue’s editor-in- chief Anna Wintour. The night saw a number of stunningly executed outfits, filled with glamour and creativity.

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As Lagerfeld was known for his focus on wedding dresses, Rihanna was one of the many celebrities who chose to wear a bridal gown. But the singer and entrepreneur went above and beyond in a lush dress under an enormous petticoat covered in camellias that submerged her head as she entered. After removing the outer layer, she revealed a stack of shiny necklaces.

Rihanna’s execution of more than just a plain wedding dress captured the flamboyance and innovativeness of Lagerfeld’s style.

Liu Wen gained traction when she broke barriers as the first Chinese model on the Victoria’s Secret runway. At the Met Gala, the camellia flowers on the hem of her Tory Burch dress are reminiscent of Lagerfeld’s work at Chanel.

Wen’s outfit is one of the most elegant and creative allusions to the designer’s greatest achievements.

Singer and actress Janelle Monae’s custom-made outfit from designer Thom Browne showed impeccable modern tailoring with Lagerfeld’s legacy in mind.

Monae was adorned in a bulky tweed coat, with flowers along its edges. Underneath, she wore a sheer dress that revealed a sparkly swimsuit. The singer also carried a quilted leather bag in the shape of a cat – a nod to Choupette. Not only did the outfit include important pieces from Lagerfeld’s career, but it also embodied his thinking through its innovative design.

Anne Hathaway’s custom Versace dress is skin-tight with tasteful gaps held together by the brand’s signature safety pins. Although the gown is quite recognisable as Versace, the use of tweed, pearl accents and flowers makes the inspirations from Chanel evident. It’s a clever and fashionable way of blending the two brands.

Sporting not one, not two, but three looks between leaving her hotel and enjoying the Gala, Cardi B was one of the few who came close to representing Lagerfeld’s exquisite vision.

Wearing the first all-pink ensemble from Miss Sohee as she left her hotel, the rapper showed off an elaborate gown with a corset top, tulle train and voluminous pink headdress.

While everyone believed the pink look would be her outfit for the night, Cardi B surprised everyone on the carpet with a black tuxedo dress from Chen Peng. This outfit showed a clear ode to Lagerfeld’s personal style, featuring a stiff-necked collar and grey wig.

Inside the Gala, the singer’s final outfit was a fitted, houndstooth dress by Richard Quinn.

Wearing three outfits to surprise an audience is a reminder of how Lagerfeld also loved to keep people guessing.

However, a few guests, unfortunately, did not deliver strong contributions to the Met Gala’s theme.

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Singer Dua Lipa sported a vintage 1992 Chanel dress, which was originally styled on the runway for model Claudia Schiffer with a matching cropped jacket and an elaborate hat.

However, Lipa’s version does not include any of the original accessories, nor many of her own besides a Tiffany & Co diamond necklace reportedly worth more than US$10 million. While Lipa’s charm helps to craft an effortless look, the outfit leaves much to be desired.

As Lagerfeld was known for his excessive accessories, the styling of the head and limbs should have been just as important as the rest of the body.

Celebrities had a lot of room for creativity and interpretation within this year’s theme, but given the extensive archive of Lagerfeld’s work, some celebrities, including Margot Robbie, plucked directly from the past with little or no attempt to make the piece their own.

Her dress is from Lagerfeld’s collaboration with supermodel Cindy Crawford. But with no bold accessories or individual touches, Robbie’s look lacks originality and innovation – two defining elements of Lagerfeld.

Despite being revered by many teens as a fashion icon, Emma Chamberlain’s dress at the Met Gala did not meet her standard.

The social media influencer wore a two-piece Miu Miu set, which could be seen as an ode to a classic Chanel outfit.

However, the styling remained too casual – visible in the frayed bra hem – without the lustrous touches signature to Lagerfeld. Chamberlain’s attempt does not create a look that seamlessly blends two fashion houses.

Many celebrities at the event included odes to Lagerfeld’s cat, and the most striking effort was from actor Jared Leto. However, he took the idea a little too literally as he wore a large, fluffy costume resembling Choupette.

This spirited costume could be seen as an interpretation of Lagerfeld’s quirkiness, but even his most playful designs would still have an air of sophistication. Thus, Leto’s costume was rather unfitting to the Met Gala’s atmosphere.

Lil Nas X has long been a fan of bold looks, and this year’s Met Gala was no exception. Make-up artist Pat McGrath and stylist Nicola Formichetti spent about nine hours creating this shimmering look, adorning his skin with silver body paint and glittering jewels.

Although Lil Nas X’s boldness in experimentation matches Lagerfeld’s, the look doesn’t quite fit the theme, serving more “galaxy superstar” than Choupette-inspired high fashion.