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 12:30 · Peony Hirwani]

Blake Lively shares photo of herself pumping breast milk after Ryan Reynolds addresses absence at Met Gala

Blake Lively has shared a photo of herself pumping breast milk after confirming her absence from the 2023 Met Gala.

On Monday 1 May 2023, the Gossip Girl star, 35, joked about her plans for the infamous date of the annual fashion extravaganza on Instagram, where she posted a photo of herself pumping in a bathroom.

“First Monday in May,” she captioned the photo.

[2 May 2023 13:00 · Peony Hirwani]

Doja Cat meows to every question in Met Gala interview while dressed as Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette

During an interview with Vogue’s Emma Chamberlain, Doja Cat responded to every question thrown at her with “meow”.

When asked who made her outfit, she replied: “Meow.”

Chamberlain responded: “Wow, ok, so something a little different. So what was your inspiration for tonight, be honest with me, and go into detail.”

To which Doja replied once again: “Meow, meow, meow.”

Read more:

[2 May 2023 13:30 · Peony Hirwani]

What the Met Gala cockroach highlight says about the disappointment of fashion’s biggest night

Numerous celebrities dressed to the nines walked the red carpet, but one party crasher made a bigger impression than anyone else.

Kate Ng writes:

[2 May 2023 14:00 · Peony Hirwani]

Aubrey Plaza admonishes Jared Leto for giant cat outfit mistake at Met Gala

Aubrey Plaza has admonished Jared Leto for making an error while dressed as a giant cat at the Met Gala.

Jacob Stolworthy reports.

[2 May 2023 14:30 · Peony Hirwani]

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt makes her debut at the Met Gala

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt made her debut at the Met Gala on Monday (1 May) along with designer Prabal Gurung.

The 30-year-old actor wore a pearl-studded couture ball gown that flowed into a long trail.

[2 May 2023 15:00 · Chelsea Ritschel]

Cockroaches, cat costumes and a tribute to a controversial creator – it’s time to put an end to the Met Gala

“Tedium was the least of the Gala’s problems,” writes Katie Edwards. “The main issue lay in the choice of theme for the event: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, which honoured the ‘full work and life’ of Lagerfeld. Attendees were invited to dress ‘in honour of Karl.’”

[2 May 2023 15:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

Met Gala afterparty saw some celebrities dress more casually

Following the glitz and glamour of the Met Gala red carpet, the star-studded guest list underwent a fashion transformation, with celebrities arriving at the afterparties in everything from sheer dresses to sweatpants in Irina Shayk’s case.

The model arrived at the Met Gala afterparty in a white tank top and grey sweatpants, which may have been a subtle dig at Lagerfeld, who infamously alleged “sweatpants are a sign of defeat”.

[2 May 2023 16:00 · Chelsea Ritschel]

Bill Nighy confirms he and Anna Wintour are just ‘friends’

After the Vogue editor-in-chief and her longtime friend sparked romance rumours after appearing on the red carpet together, a representative for Nighy clarified their relationship.

[2 May 2023 16:30 · Chelsea Ritschel]

Olivia Wilde and Margaret Zhang wear same dress to Met Gala

With the majority of the attendees wearing tributes to Karl Lagerfeld for the event centred around the late designer, it is understandable that there was some fashion overlap, with most of the star-studded guest list choosing white or black outfits adorned with pearls.

However, for Wilde and Zhang, this meant wearing the exact same dress in different colours.

[2 May 2023 17:00 · Chelsea Ritschel]

Blackpink’s Jennie opens up about how ‘lucky’ she was to wear Chanel dress at her first Met Gala

Blackpink’s Jennie gushed about the opportunity to wear Chanel for her first-ever Met Gala while posing on the red carpet at the fashion extravaganza.

“I’m wearing Chanel from the ‘90s runway,” she told host Emma Chamberlain. “I’m so lucky to have the Chanel team recreate this look, the one that Karl did. I’m just so happy!”