The annual fundraiser, the Costume Institute’s Met Gala, took place in New York last night with a theme inextricable from fashion. This year celebrities, models, museum patrons, fashion designers and others honored legend Karl Lagerfeld, his work, his legacy and his style with a dress code titled In Honour of Karl. Best known as the Creative Director for CHANEL since 1983 until his death, he was also the creative director for fashion brands Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld.
Met Gala Honors Karl Lagerfeld
Kicked off by last night’s event, a large exhibition, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art examines his life and his iconic designs. The show spotlights Lagerfeld’s unique working methodology, focusing on the late designer’s stylistic vocabulary as it was expressed in “through lines”—aesthetic and conceptual themes that appear time and again—in his fashions from the 1950s to his final collection in 2019. More than 200 objects are on display, and Lagerfeld’s sketches accompany most of the pieces, underscoring his complex creative process and collaborative relationships with his premières d’atelier.
While past themes have left attendees a little confused as to what to wear, there were more than enough iconic KARL and CHANEL cues to assure that everyone would find something to fit the theme.
Fans of CHANEL will recognize the numerous embellishments synonymous with the French Fashion House such as camellia flowers, strands of pearls, gold chains, the Maltese cross and black bows.
Fans of Karl Lagerfeld’s personal will recognize the numerous homages such as fingerless gloves, black sunglasses, starched white collars and cuffs and cats. Yes, he loved cats.
Well-known personalities wore ensembles that ranged from elegant to sexy. Here’s a few we felt worth sharing.
And of course, Rap Royalty:
It wouldn’t be a typical Met Gala without some truly bizarre outfits like the cat suits, literally, worn by Doja Cat and Jared Leto.
Or the odd ensembles worn by Lil Nas X, Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu.
all images courtesy of Getty