Met Gala Theme 2023: 25 Celebrities Who Nailed It — See Photos
The Met Gala 2023 has come and gone, leaving a trail of pearls and pastel pink in its wake. The 2023 Met Gala theme was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, meant to honor the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, who famously helmed Chanel but also served as lead designer at Fendi for more than fifty years, as well as his eponymous line and a stint at Chloé and Patou.
While some Met Gala years are obvious misses regarding the theme, this year was a bit easier to ace given the broad topic and breadth of Lagerfeld's work. Of course, as expected, most celebrity attendees went for Chanel references with their red carpet looks: pearls, tweed, and floral shapes as an ode to Chanel's house camellia dominated a lot of attendees' looks. Some went the vintage route to pull archival pieces. (Nicole Kidman even dipped into her own archives to re-wear the pink feathered gown she donned in a Chanel No. 5 commercial!)
Others got "more creative" and based their looks around Lagerfeld's signature colors (tons of black and white) or famous looks he designed. There were, however, a few surprises, like Lil Nas X covered in pearls and gems, Kendall Jenner sans pants and Doja Cat, and Jared Leto going the literal route and dressing up as his beloved cat, Choupette. There was good, there was bad, and there was boring.
While many of the night's looks were technically "on theme" but didn't quite hit the mark, a few celebrities took the idea and truly ran with it in a way that felt referential of Lagerfeld's work without looking like a costume.
Below, check out the celebrities who nailed the 2023 Met Gala theme:
Taylor Hill/Getty Images1/25Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa, who co-chaired the event, wore one of the most famous Chanel bridal gowns: a 1992 Haute Couture gown originally worn by Claudia Schiffer. The star skipped the hat worn on the runway in favor of a massive Tiffany & Co. diamond.
John Shearer2/25Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell, another one of Lagerfeld's favorite models, slipped into a draped pink column gown from Chanel's spring-summer 2010 Haute Couture.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images3/25Bella Ramsey
The The Last of Us Star put a spin on Lagerfeld's signature suiting in a pearl-covered Thom Browne suit.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images4/25Bad Bunny
The musician played on Chanel's house flower, the camellia, with a massive flowered train by Jacquemus.
Sean Zanni/Getty Images5/25Michaela Coel
Also a co-host, Coel's stunning celestial Schiaparelli gown was inspired by Lagerfeld's costume jewelry creations. Clever!
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images6/25Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning's Vivienne Westwood gown paid homage to one of her first meetings with Lagerfeld, when he placed a flower crown on her head for a photoshoot.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images7/25Keke Palmer
The actor showed us how to do Chanel tweeds right in her strapless pastel tweed Sergio Hudson gown and billowing pale aqua cape.
ANGELA WEISS/Getty Images8/25Tems
Tems looked stunning in a strapless black gown and white skirt with a feathered headpiece and structural opera gloves. The creation was courtesy of Robert Wun.
John Shearer9/25Gisele Bündchen
The model dipped into the Chanel archives and wore a white column gown and feathered cape, a 2007 bridal look she originally wore for a photoshoot.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images10/25Nicole Kidman
Kidman, too, revisited an old friend, re-wearing the baby pink feathered gown she famously donned in a Chanel No. 5 commercial.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images11/25Olivia Rodrigo
Rodrigo looked like a 2023 Audrey Hepburn in her black and white Thom Browne gown with a bodice of Chanel-esque camellias.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images12/25Serena Williams
Williams announced her second pregnancy in a black and white Gucci gown reminiscent of classic Chanel looks, plus a neck full of layered pearls.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images13/25Cardi B
The rapper's second look of the night was a gown by Chenpeng Studio with a massive ball skirt covered in quilted flowers like a Chanel bag.
Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty Images14/25Devon Aoki
One of Lagerfeld's favorite models and muses, Aoki stunned in a black and white off-the-shoulder Moschino gown.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images15/25Emma Chamberlain
Chamberlain's pastel blue Miu Miu suit dress played on the classic Chanel suit. It was also Choupette Blue.
Sean Zanni/Getty Images16/25Jennie Kim
BLACKPINK's Jennie, a Chanel ambassador, wore head-to-toe Chanel, looking picture perfect in a vintage dress with a cute camellia belt.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images17/25Conan Gray
The best detail in Gray's look? The fan — one of Lagerfeld's iconic personal accessories!
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images18/25Jenna Ortega
The Wednesday star blended Chanel suiting with her personal goth glam in this ruffled Thom Browne mini paired with sheer socks and oxford shoes.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images19/25Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor channeled Lagerfeld's trademark slim suiting in a tweed gown with hip cutouts, a tie, and a pair of sunglasses.
Cindy Ord/MG23/Getty Images20/25Rihanna and A$AP Rocky
The red carpet just isn't complete without Rihanna! The musician and Fenty Beauty founder wore a custom Valentino cape covered in camellias over a matching white gown with a massive train. A$AP Rocky paid homage to a famous Lagerfeld look in a plaid kilt and jacket by Gucci.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images21/25Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian piled on the pearls, the house of Chanel's signature stone, in her Schiaparelli illusion gown.
Jeff Kravitz22/25Anne Hathaway
Hathaway's Versace gown was special because not only did it nail the Lagerfeld theme, it also incorporated iconic Versace elements — namely the oversized safety pins.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images23/25Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner skipped pants in favor of trailing sequined sleeves in her dazzling Marc Jacobs bodysuit with a Peter Pan collar for a super charicaturesque take on Lagerfeld's style.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images24/25Lizzo
The musician wore a custom Chanel look covered in — what else? — pearls to the Gala. The piece was inspired by an early '90s Chanel design.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images25/25Janelle Monae
Monae's oversized, structural black and white homage to the Chanel suit jacket held a surprise underneath; the musician and actor removed layer after layer to reveal a black bra and underwear underneath a tulle petticoat.
