Met Gala 2023: “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”
Fashion’s biggest night has finally arrived! This year’s theme for the Met Gala was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” in honor of the late designer who passed away in 2019. Lagerfeld was most well known for his role as the creative director for Chanel since 1983, but his career goes much further than that. He was the artistic director of Chloé in the 70s, the creative director of Fendi for over five decades, and even created his own namesake label. As a close friend of the event organizer, Anna Wintour, it makes sense that Lagerfeld was chosen as this year’s honoree, so let’s see how celebrities took this theme and made it their own.
Photobook’s Top 5 Best Dressed
Elle Fanning in Vivienne Westwood styled by Samantha McMillen
Elle Fanning’s look was not only beautiful on the surface, it’s sentimental meaning was just as beautiful. Fanning’s lace dress and cropped black jacket accessorized with a daisy flower crown was inspired by an image Lagerfeld took of her when she was 13 for his “Little Black Jacket” book where he styled her in the white dress she showed up in, the black jacket that everyone wore in the book, and a dainty flower crown. The ethereal look was so perfect for Fanning and was such a wonderful way to honor her memories of Lagerfeld.
Anok Yai in Prabal Gurung styled by Carlos Nazario
Anok Yai proves that themes don’t matter when the look is good. Yai’s Prabal Gurung dress with ombréd paillettes with beaded fringe made the model shine on the red carpet. While I don’t necessarily see the connection to the theme, the dress is so well constructed and Yai looked so amazing in it, it would feel wrong to leave her off the best-dressed list.
Keke Palmer in Sergio Hudson styled by Wayman & Micah
Keke Palmer’s pastel tweed gown and dramatic cape was Hollywood glamor at its finest. The gown, designed by Sergio Hudson, was encrusted with over 12,000 Swarovski crystals and pearls. The materials were an obvious nod to Lagerfeld’s work at Chanel, but it stayed true to Palmer’s personal style.
Dua Lipa in Vintage Chanel styled by Lorenzo Posocco
Co-chair Dua Lipa pulled a Fall 1992 Couture gown designed by Lagerfeld for Chanel. During his time at the Chanel, Lagerfeld ended every runway with a bridal look and this specific one, originally worn by his muse Claudia Schiffer, was an iconic piece. The gown, complete with pockets, was paired with a 100-carat Tiffany & Co. diamond necklace was the definition of luxury, perfect for a chair of fashion’s biggest night.
Brian Tyree Henry in Karl Lagerfeld
Lagerfeld was not known for menswear, so I was especially interested to see how the night’s male attendees would interpret the theme and Brian Tyree Henry did not disappoint. Wearing a custom look by Lagerfeld’s namesake brand, Henry channeled some of the designer’s most iconic parts of his personal style, including the classic white button-down and pearls, with a dramatic Met Gala twist. Complete with a voluminous lace cape, I can confidently say Henry was one of the best-dressed men of the night.
Photobook’s Top Brand: Thom Browne
Thom Browne dressed some of the biggest stars of the night including Janelle Monáe, Jenna Ortega, Shai Alexander, and Sora Choi. All of their looks honored Lagerfeld, specifically his time at Chanel, in a breathtaking way. From the camellia flowers on Choi’s gown to the clean tailoring of Alexander’s suit and the chain and pearl details woven throughout Ortega’s dress. But perhaps the sweetest nod was Monáe’s bag, shaped like Lagerfeld’s beloved cat, Choupette.
Janelle Monáe/Image courtesy of Thom Browne
Jenna Ortega/ Image courtesy of Thom Browne
Shai Alexander/Image courtesy of Thom Browne
Sora Choi//Image courtesy of Thom Browne
Photobook’s Top 5 Best Stylists
Chloe Keiko Takayanagi styling Ke Huy Quan in Dior
While many attendees chose to honor Lagerfeld through his designs, some chose to honor the designer himself. First-time attendee Ke Huy Quan went for the latter. Copying the designer's signature look of a pinstripe suit, leather fingerless gloves, and dark sunglasses, Quan definitely looked the part.
Nichole Goodman styling Halle Bailey in Gucci
One of my favorite red carpet motifs is when an actor gives a nod to the role they’re playing at press events and this gorgeous Gucci gown on Halle Bailey is the perfect example of that. Her role in Arial in the live-action The Little Mermaid is set to premiere at the end of the month and she looks like she came right out of the sea with this look. The frothy tulle coat looks like seafoam and the sequin-embroidered gown truly resembles the sun's reflections off the ocean. It’s truly just a simply stunning look.
Kollin Carter styling Cardi B in Miss Sohee, Chen Peng, and Richard Quinn
Kollin Carter deserves major props for pulling off not one, not two, but THREE incredible looks for Cardi B in one night. The first, a pink gown with a tulle halo by Miss Sohee, inspired by a 2008 Chanel bridal gown, was only seen when Cardi took the short walk from her hotel to her car. That’s right, a whole bespoke custom gown to walk to a car. That is the epitome of The Met Gala. Her actual red carpet look by Chen Peng was inspired by the iconic Chanel Boy Bag with quilted details and camellia floral details that are a staple of the house. Finally, her look for inside the event was inspired by the Chanel tweed suit. The dress, by Richard Quinn, was hand embroidered to create the houndstooth pattern and emphasized with 34,000 crystals. Every single look was on theme and perfectly executed.
Erin Walsh styling Anne Hathaway in Versace
The most interesting part of a Met Gala honoring a famous designer is to see how other designers interpret their aesthetic, especially when they’re so different, like Donatella Versace and Karl Lagerfeld. Anne Hathaway’s gown was a true marriage of these two iconic forces in fashion. The silhouette was classic Versace, while the tweed was classic Chanel. Even the embellishments were a perfect blend: pearls for Chanel, safety pins for Versace. It was a perfect example of how to follow a theme and still stay true to yourself.
Tara Sweenen styling Kristen Stewart in Chanel
Kristen Stewart has been a Chanel ambassador for over a decade and while I haven’t always understood the connection between her androgynous, punk personal style and Chanel’s classic and chic house codes, after seeing this look, I get it. Stylist Tara Sweenen pulled a men’s look from Chanel’s Resort 2017 collection that perfectly captures Stewart’s personal style while still honoring the brand that she has been the muse of for so long.
As always, The Met Gala gave us some of the best fashion moments of the year. Despite the theme, there’s a chance for these stars to wear the most outrageous looks they can think of (I mean, there were multiple people dressed up as cats). It’s a chance to have fun and experiment and honor the art form that is fashion. If any of these looks inspired or amazed you, the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” exhibition is on view at the Met Museum now until July 16th!
Article + Photos by Skylar Elizabeth, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Summer Safi, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
*Images: Getty Entertainment, Thom Browne
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