Met Gala 2023: Fashion's Lagerfeld Tribute, Explained

Met Gala 2023 brought fashion's glitterati to the Metropolitan Museum of Art over the weekend for an evening dedicated to the late designer Karl Lagerfeld. As the annual "Oscars of fashion," the event celebrated a Costume Institute exhibition — "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" — while fundraising millions for the museum.

The gala, held on the first Monday in May, gathered approximately 600 of the world's most influential figures on the museum's iconic steps. Hosted since 1995 by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, it drew A-listers from music, theatre, film, sports and politics. Each attendee paid up to $75,000 for a ticket, with the 2022 gala having raised over $20 million for the Costume Institute.

Why does this matter? The Met Gala is more than a celebrity spectacle — it's where fashion's boundaries are tested, where emerging designers gain visibility, and where the industry's most creative minds collaborate. Attendees commission bespoke outfits or wear vintage pieces adhering to an announced theme, turning the red carpet into a wearable gallery of haute couture.

This year's tribute to Lagerfeld, the legendary designer behind Chanel, Fendi, Balmain and Chloé, reflected his outsized influence on modern fashion. Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, remains a towering figure, and the exhibition celebrated his decades-long creative legacy.

One element that captured the internet's imagination: Lagerfeld's beloved Birman cat, Choupette, became an unlikely star. The designer doted on his pet, who declined an invitation to the gala, preferring to remain cozy at home. Despite her absence, Choupette dominated conversation. Actor Jared Leto arrived in a human-sized cat costume bearing a striking resemblance to the feline, with the look instantly trending on social media. Singer and rapper Doja Cat added her own feline tribute, complete with cat ears and prosthetics that transformed her face. What could have been a solemn design retrospective became a conversation blending reverence with whimsy.

The Met Gala is no stranger to controversy. The guest list is tightly controlled by Wintour, with even designer-invited guests requiring her personal approval. Last year, Kim Kardashian's appearance in Marilyn Monroe's historic dress stirred outrage among fashion historians and curators concerned about damage to the garment. In 2021, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's white dress emblazoned with "tax the rich" sparked debate over whether such a statement fit an event celebrating fashion elite.

This year's gala demonstrated the event's enduring formula: honour a design legacy while embracing the unexpected. The evening concluded with a private dinner and tour of the exhibition, details of which remain closely guarded. That secrecy, combined with viral moments like Leto's cat costume and Doja Cat's feline prosthetics, ensures the Met Gala stays relevant long after the red carpet is rolled away.