Celebrity Style at The Met Gala 2023 in Honor of Karl Lagerfeld

When it came to the pinnacle of style, Karl Lagerfeld was it. Not only did he create spectacular looks for Chanel, Chloe, and Fendi, but he also became a brand in his own right, with shirts, accessories and shoes plastered with stylized drawings of his face. WWD called his collaboration with H&M a seminal moment in fashion. When he died in February 2019 at the age of 85, it was devastating for the fashion community. So when the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute decided to dedicate their annual exhibition and gala to Lagerfeld’s work, it was a surprise to no one.

Met Gala 2023 Honors Karl Lagerfeld

The theme for this year’s Met Gala, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” brought out the big names like supermodel Gisele Bundchen, actress Nicole Kidman, and beauty Margot Robbie, all of who were friends of Karl, as well as avid fans. Not just inspired by the star, many of the celebs wore repurposed vintage Chanel looks with a story behind them or Chanel haute couture. 

Met Gala 2023 Fashion On The Red Carpet

Karl’s signature looks included black and white tuxedo-inspired looks, boucle and tweed for Chanel, art deco and fur for Fendi, and even some 3D floral. So we expected to see all of this at this year’s Met Gala and the celebs came out in full force. Was there too much black and white? Maybe. But the celebs did not disappoint. They understood the assignment. Here are the most standout looks of the night. 

The Experiences 

Janelle Monae called her look at this year’s gala “an experience.” And so I thought about all the experiences that we’ve had in past and present Met Galas when stars like Blake Lively, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and others, took over the floor. So here were my favorite “experiences” of the night. 

Once again, Rihanna’s jaw-dropping aesthetic, in a white rose-covered Valentino that dominated the red carpet, took everyone’s breath away. 

This was actually Cardi’s second look of the night. The first was leaving her hotel in a pink Miss Sohee look. 

Sorry but I had to. The cats have it!

Karl’s real cat, Choupette, opted to stay home. But she was there in spirit. 

More Met Gala 2023 Fashion 

Nicole Kidman rewore a dress Karl Lagerfeld designed for a Chanel No. 5 commercial in 2004. 

Gisele Bundchen, in her first Met Gala appearance since 2006, wore a look from the Chanel haute couture Spring/Summer 2007 collection with a strong feathered cape. 

Versace understood the assignment when they created this sexy Swarovski-embellished dress for Anne Hathaway’s look at the gala. The look pairs the Versace silhouette and aesthetic with Chanel’s signature tweed fabric. And ironically, it was one of very few looks that I saw featuring Lagerfeld’s go-to fabric for the label. 

Here’s a nice pop of color for you. There actually weren’t too many of these on the red carpet last night. I saw a lot of red, a bit of blue, and a good amount of bubblegum pink. 

DuaLipa stunned in a white and black tweed ballgown from Chanel, which was the same design that Claudia Schiffer wore for the fall 1992 couture collection. She also wore a statement-making 100-carat Tiffany diamond necklace. 

Did I just hear that Florence Pugh shaved her head for the Met Gala? Talk about making a statement for your debut at the event! The strapless white Valentino gown with a black bow that she wore was accentuated by a stunning headpiece. 

Margot Robbie wears a dress remade for her, but originally designed by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel and worn by Cindy Crawford in 1993. 

Not a whole lot to say about this except that I thought it was quirky and stunning. 

The epitome of Wednesday core. 

Naomi wore a stunning look from Chanel’s spring/summer 2010 couture collection.

Best look of the night? 

What do you think? Do you have a favorite celebrity look from the Met Gala 2023 red carpet?

–Simona Shemer

Photos: WWD, People.com, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, EOnline 

You may like to read more of Simona’s celebrity style posts like Grammy Awards 2023 Fashion: The Standouts and The Over-The-Top and The Oscars 2023 Red Carpet Best Dressed: Fashion Is Back!

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