Met Gala 2023 - live: Karl Lagerfeld theme blamed for ‘boring’ best dressed list as cockroach steals show

Rihanna arrived fashionably late, preceded by a cockroach that nearly stole the show

Met Gala: Stars walk the red carpet

The 2023 Met Gala has come to a close.

This year’s theme was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, which aimed to “examine the life” of the late designer’s fashion legacy.

But while many celebrities showed off their best Lagerfeld-inspired looks, viewers have branded fashion’s biggest night as “boring” due to the black-and-white ensembles that ruled the evening.

However, an unexpected guest went viral for its red carpet appearance. A cockroach was spotted on the red carpet and photographed before being “stepped on”, leading to viewers mourning its death.

The decision to feature the German designer so prominently has also attracted criticism given his history of controversial remarks.

Models protested ahead of the event, with Jameela Jamil among those who condemned the choice. Concerns were also raised about his past fatphobic and body-shaming comments.

In line with the theme, guests were informed that the “most authentic approach” for the Met Gala 2023 dress code would be “to wear an archival look from one of the labels Lagerfeld led”.

Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Campbell, and Jennifer Lopez all walked the red carpet in line with the theme, while some stars took more creative liberties in their Met Gala looks. Doja Cat and Jared Leto, for example, arrived dressed as Lagerfeld’s beloved cat, Choupette.

Met Gala 2023 key points

• Met Gala livestream ends abruptly
• The best dressed stars of 2023
• Rihanna arrives fashionably late
• The Met Gala theme and why it’s so controversial
• A cockroach on the red carpet turned out to be a Met Gala highlight

[2 May 2023 03:00 · Meredith Clark]

Rihanna arrives late to the Met Gala

Rihanna has arrived fashionably late to the 2023 Met Gala.

It appears the “Diamonds” singer skipped this year’s Met Gala red carpet on Monday evening. Instead, one video captured Rihanna attending the event with boyfriend A$AP Rocky, minutes after Vogue ended their red carpet livestream.

Despite the late arrival, fans still waited outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to catch a glimpse at the Fenty Beauty founder.

[2 May 2023 03:30 · Meredith Clark]

Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette reveals whether she will be attending Met Gala

While many stars arrived at the Met Gala dressed as Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette, the beloved feline will be missing from the fashion extravaganza.

Ahead of Monday night’s Met Gala, Choupette revealed on Instagram that she would not be walking this year’s red carpet.

“Many people invited me to walk the red carpet of the #METGALA2023 in tribute to Daddy, but we preferred to stay peacefully and cosy at home,” the account for Choupette captioned the post. “We pay tribute to my Daddy every day since his parting and we are very moved to see one more day dedicated to him.”

On Instagram, the legendary designer’s cat boasts 174k followers.

Following his death in 2019, Choupette was reportedly set to inherit Lagerfeld’s £150m fortune.

Chelsea Ritschel has more.

[2 May 2023 03:31 · Meredith Clark]

Rihanna walks Met Gala red carpet

After much delay, Rihanna has finally posed for pictures on the 2023 Met Gala red carpet.

The singer was seen holding hands with boyfriend A$AP Rocky while she was dressed in a white floral outfit that covered her entire face. She accessorised the look with a pair of white cat-eye sunglasses, which were decorated with a pair of fake eyelashes, and a bold red lip.

Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky could be seen wearing a black suit jacket with a white button-down shirt, along with a red plaid kilt over a pair of baggy jeans.

Their appearance comes after the Vogue red carpet livestream came to an abrupt end, as fans waited for their arrival.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky arrive fashionably late to 2023 Met Gala (Getty Images for The Met Museum)

[2 May 2023 04:00 · Meredith Clark]

Serena Williams announces she’s pregnant with second child during Met Gala

Serena Williams has confirmed that she is pregnant with her second child during the 2023 Met Gala.

The former tennis star showed off her baby bump when she walked the Met Gala red carpet in a black long-sleeved dress, with a deep v-neckline. The dress also featured a white, fluffy skirt adorned with silver sequins.

Williams confirmed her pregnancy in an Instagram post, as well as during her red carpet interview with husband Alexis Ohanian. “Was so excited when Anna Wintour invited the 3 of us to the Met Gala,” she wrote in the caption of her post, which showed Williams cradling her bump.

The couple are already parents to five-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.

Amber Raiken has the full report.

[2 May 2023 04:30 · Meredith Clark]

While the 2023 Met Gala red carpet has come to a close, we still can’t stop thinking about this year’s best dressed.

Dua Lipa, one of this year’s four co-chairs arrived, wore white gown made famous by model Claudia Schiffer when she closed the 1995-1996 Chanel runway show.

Penélope Cruz opted for a sheer white gown, which was adored with silver sequins and featured a hood.

Nicole Kidman posed for the red carpet in a pink Chanel gown she wore during campaign for the brand in 2004.

Amber Raiken has more of the 2023 Met Gala best dressed.

[2 May 2023 05:17 · Meredith Clark]

What was the 2023 Met Gala theme?

It appears that many celebrities dressed on-theme for this year’s Met Gala, which aimed to “examine the life” of the late Karl Lagerfeld.

In September 2022, Vogue announced that the theme of the 2023 event will be “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”.

The dress code asked attendees to wear clothing “in honour of Karl” – such as looks from his fashion label or more “modern-day” looks by Chanel or Fendi.

However, backlash quickly followed as many on social media resurfaced many of Lagerfeld’s highly controversial opinions.

Here’s some background on the 2023 Met Gala theme and why it was deemed so controversial.

[2 May 2023 05:30 · Meredith Clark]

Celebrities criticise 2023 Met Gala theme

As some celebrities walked the Met Gala red carpet in celebration of Karl Lagerfeld, others took to social media to call out the annual fashion event for honouring the German designer.

The Good Place star previously spoke out against the Met Gala theme in October 2022, when she called out Lagerfeld for the many instances he spoke in a “distinctly hateful” way, which she acknowledged was “mostly towards women”.

In an Instagram post on Monday, Jamil once again criticised Vogue’s choice and reiterated her opposition to the Met Gala theme.

Read her response to the 2023 Met Gala theme.

[2 May 2023 06:00 · Meredith Clark]

Models protest 2023 Met Gala

In addition to Jameela Jamil, several models gathered together to protest this year’s Met Gala theme, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”.

Many models shared their displeasure with the theme during an in-person protest on the iconic Met Gala steps on Sunday, just one day before the annual gala.

The legendary deisgner is known to have made several derogatory comments about marginalised groups and public figures, including frequent criticism of women.

Read more from Chelsea Ritschel here.

[2 May 2023 06:30 · Meredith Clark]

A history of Karl Lagerfeld’s controversial comments

The legacy of the late designer, Karl Lagerfeld, was the theme of this year’s Met Gala.

In September, Vogue announced the theme of the annual fashion event would be “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”.

The theme will “examine the life and creative legacy of the Chanel creative director, who shaped the face of fashion for more than half a century”. In doing so, the official dress code for the 1 May event was “in honour of Karl”.

However, his highly controversial opinions and beliefs have resurfaced in light of the Met Gala.

Here’s a breakdown of Karl Lagerfeld’s accusations of bigotry and his history of controversial comments.

[2 May 2023 07:00 · Meredith Clark]

Lizzo reveals the worst parts of the Met Gala

A resurfaced clip of Lizzo, in which she shared some of the reasons why she didn’t enjoy last year’s Met Gala, has gone viral online.

The clip was taken from Lizzo’s Instagram Live, days after the 2022 event, where she revealed that she was initially uncomfortable in her outfit and there was was “a long f***ing line” to get to the red carpet.

“I’m taking the glamour away from it, but it’s true,”she said in the video. “So you’re waiting and that’s the hardest part. I was sweating in a big a** coat, my feet were hurting.”

Lizzo added that the he “scariest part” for her was the red carpet, where played the flute for fellow Met Gala attendees.

“I got nervous and I only played it once because all the photographers were heckling me,” she said.

Amber Raiken has the full report.