On May 1, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala celebrated the opening of its 2023 exhibit, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” which opens on Friday and runs through July 16.
In tribute to the exhibition’s honoree, who died in 2019, guests were asked to dress in outfits inspired by Lagerfeld, who was best known for his work at Chanel, Chloé, Fendi and his eponymous line. Attendees rose to the occasion, wearing plenty of vintage Chanel, and even pulling out references to Lagerfeld’s early career work at Pierre Balmain, Jean Patou and Valentino.
Ideas garnered from events like the Met Gala and various awards show red carpets can get translated into shoppable looks almost overnight, while others get diluted and toned down, turning into daywear, evening wear or prom wear later in the year. The fashion industry loves a good party, of course, but when the red carpet gets rolled up there’s always some helpful takeaways.
With that in mind, here are some of the top trends from the evening.
Suited up
Lagerfeld’s signature look of a slim black jacket and pants, white shirt and black tie was reinterpreted multiple ways, from Ke Huy Quan’s custom Dior suit to Bella Ramsey’s pearl-trimmed Thom Browne ensemble. Ramsey’s “Last of Us” co-star Pedro Pascal showed up in a red Valentino shorts suit, and designer Tommy Hilfiger wore one of Lagerfeld’s shirts, gifted to him by the designer, and made his own Lagerfeld-inspired suit out of vintage Chanel fabric.
Vintage glamour
Lagerfeld began designing in the 1950s, and looks inspired by virtually every decade of his career were on full display, from Naomi Campbell’s Chanel Haute Couture spring 2010 sequin-encrusted pink gown and Dua Lipa’s Chanel Haute Couture autumn/winter 1992 white tweed ballgown to Allison Williams’ peach dress. Patou designer Guillaume Henry recreated Williams’ dress from an archival gown designed by Lagerfeld during his time spent at the house in the late 1950s.
Maxi-trains
Big, big looks are always a fun part of this event, and this year, that idea played out in trains. Rihanna changed out of a vintage Fendi fur coat to reveal an all-white custom Valentino Haute Couture silk faille dress and cape covered in appliqués camellias and finished with a massive trailing train. Meanwhile, Bad Bunny dragged a 26-foot flower train behind his backless white suit designed by Simon Porte Jacquemus. And Jeremy Pope’s outfit designed by Balmain sported a large photo of Karl Lagerfeld printed across a train so large it took five people to get it up the steps.
Pearls of wisdom
Pearls are the it-jewels of the year, and they were everywhere at the Gala. Kim Kardashian’s Champagne-colored Schiaparelli gown was covered from neck to toe in looped pearl strands, and Lizzo’s black Chanel dress — an homage to a look Linda Evangelista wore on Chanel’s autumn/winter 1991-1992 runway — featured pearl trim and a train, hitting more or less a trifecta of trends.
Cat people
It’s not a trend, exactly, but it’s impossible not to mention the number of people who showed up paying tribute to Lagerfeld’s beloved cat Choupette, who was the designer’s pet and muse. Doja Cat dressed in a glittering Oscar de la Renta ensemble enhanced by feline prosthetics created by Malina Stearns, while Lil Nas X wore a sparkling cat mask and a thong, covering the rest of his body in sparkling silver body paint, Swarovski crystals and pearls. Met Gala livestream host Chloe Fineman sported a small pink studded cat purse, and Janelle Monáe accessorized her Thom Browne outfit — which transformed from voluminous coat to sheer bikini — with a giant white cat purse. But the star of the cat walk was Jared Leto, who showed up dressed in a full-body costume made to resemble Lagerfeld’s Birman, and redefining the term “cat suit.”
