What Was Hot & What Was Not? Met Gala 2023 ‘Karl Lagerfeld; A Line in Beauty'
By EMELIE ANG & VIOLET WHITE
Dubbed as being one of the biggest nights for fashion designers, rising stars and A-list celebrities, the Met Gala is a fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This year’s theme was “Karl Lagerfeld; A Line in Beauty”, and was to pay tribute to the late German-born designer Karl Lagerfeld, who was a highly influential figure in the fashion industry and had worked at numerous top fashion houses including Balmain, Chloe, Patou and Chanel, prior to his passing in 2019.
It’s not one of the most budget-friendly events out there, with one ticket going for 50,000 USD or 75,000 AUD. The event usually hosts around 600 attendees, meaning the event makes at least 45 million AUD, from just tickets.
When Vogue announced the theme back in September 2022, backlash quickly erupted as many of Lagerfeld’s controversial opinions resurfaced. Karl Lagerfeld was also notorious for being extremely fatphobic, anti-immigrant, possibly homophobic, and many would say misogynistic.“I’m against [gay marriage] for a very simple reason [...] For me, it’s difficult to imagine - one of the papas at work and the other at home with a baby.” Lagerfeld said in 2010, during an interview with Vice. He has stated he is ‘fed up’, with the #MeToo movement, which was an awareness movement around sexual abuse and harassment of women in the workplace. He also claimed that ‘no one wants to see plus sized models’, and called Adele ‘a little fat’.
All of this has many questioning Anna Wintour’s, one of this year's co-chairs and the editor-in-chief of Vogue, the decision to honour Lagerfeld.
However, Wintour was one of Lagerfeld's closest friends for decades. Wintour had stated that she had worn his clothes to “the most important events” of her life and that his designs were “ a uniform, a kind of armour and way of holding certain moods and memories close” and that “his fashion [...] ma[de] me feel more confident in myself”.
This year, the exhibition at the Gala housed 150 pieces designed by Lagerfeld, showing items from his time at Fendi, Chloe, Chanel, Balmain and Patou, alongside his original sketches for the designs. In January this year, Vogue offered outfit ideas for the Met Gala’s guests, the publication suggesting the “most authentic approach” would be for the attendees “to wear an archival look” from one of the labels Lagerfeld led”. They could also opt in for a “modern-day” look or to “find a Choupette” which was the name of the designer’s cat, known for its extravagant lifestyle.
When the event quickly came around the corner, we saw many wore custom ensembles that paid homage to Lagerfeld’s design signatures, Chanel tweeds and his own black and white uniform. The guest list comprised a mix of top actors, singers, athletes, models and artists. They all turned up in style, to honour the legacy of Karl Lagerfeld, during the night often referred to as the “Super Bowl of fashion”, and create some of the most memorable and viral red carpet looks.
See below for what we thought about some of this year’s Met Gala looks, from the best-dressed to those that didn’t quite meet our standards, theme and aesthetic.
Looks we loved
Cara Delivigne in Karl Lagerfeld and Stuart Weitzman
Cara Delivingne, often referred to as Lagerfeld’s muse, arrived at the Met wearing an oversized version of his iconic shirt designed by Karl Lagerfeld and Stuart Weitzman, and a silvery shaggy haircut, which was a reimagining of a Chanel Cruise 2013 shoot featuring the model in various pastel pixie cuts. To us she looked like a magnificent bird spreading her wings on the red carpet, captivating everyone in the room.
Gigi Hadid in Givenchy
Gigi Hadid is one of the lucky few models that had a history with Largerfeld, appearing in many of his runway shows during his time at Chanel. She wore a sheer bodice dress, draped in pearls in classic Lagerfeld style. Very chic - yet it was edgy and dramatic at the same time.
Anne Hathaway in Versace
To pay homage to the man that the night was honouring, Anne Hathaway appeared at the Met wearing a body-hugging dress by Versace with a plunging neckline that was accentuated with intricate beading. The gown featured elements that can be most associated with classic Chanel such as tweed (Lagerfeld used tweed time and time again across his career in the fashion industry). Our opinion; her outfit was giving a powerful feminist lead in a fantasy movie, which we loved.
Sydney Sweeney in Miu Miu
The Euphoria and White Lotus star graced the Met stairs in a blush body-hugging dress, with dramatic black bows in her hair and the bottom of her dress. Her overall look was glowy, romantic and sensual, accessorised with diamond earrings and a matching bracelet. We thought that the dress chose her, not the other way around.
Looks we didn’t love
Lil Nas X in Dior
When Lil Nas X arrived at the Met, his entire body was painted silver and adorned with sparkling crystals. He wore matching silver platform boots. Many were critical of his look, but none could deny it turned heads on the red carpet, and was a memorable look. Some also compared him to Guy Diamond from Trolls, but at least his fit was a showstopper.
Doja Cat in Oscar De La Renta
Inspired by Karl Lagerfeld’s multi-millionaire cat Choupette, Doja Cat used prosthetics to transform her face. To further enhance the cat-theme, a cat ear hood was attached to her dress. The bottom half of her dress featured a feather train that descended down the stairs of the red carpet, very whimsical.
Kendall Jenner in Marc Jacobs
Kendall Jenner, who had worked with Lagerfeld on many occasions, showed up at the Met wearing a leotard inspired by Lagerfeld's classic suit and collar. She paired this with platform boots and a slicked-back hairstyle. Although she was aiming for the iconic Lagerfeld suit, it veered more towards the “krissed” trend from TikTok.
Olivia Rodrigo in Thom Browne
Singer and actress Olivia Rodrigo arrived at the Met wearing a gown made up of thick yarn topped with black and white flowers at the bust. Kinda giving spaghetti, and whilst it was cute up front, it looked a little tangled at the back. The look was paired with a slicked back bun and fringe which was inspired by Audrey Hepburn.