The First Monday of May means the Met Gala is back with A-Listers packing New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art for the season’s most lavish event. A celebration of Karl Lagerfeld’s life and career, “A Line of Beauty” pays homage to the influential and frequently contentious designer who revitalized some of the most illustrious names in fashion.
During the decades Lagerfeld served as creative director, he became synonymous with Chanel.
When he passed away in 2019, at 85, he was still in charge of Chanel and Fendi, where he headed design for over 50 years, as well as his label.
That being said, The Met Gala is the most anticipated event of the year for viewers sitting on couches to discuss red-carpet fashion and produce some memes. Although fashion is subjective, not everything in life is, so why not play around when it comes to best dressed? Regardless of the topic, you can find the celebrities we at Nexxt magazine believe are the best dressed at the Met Gala 2023 below. Let us know if you agree!
Anne Hathaway
You can ALWAYS count on Donatella to nail a Met Gala look. She honored her close friend by fusing the logos of Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel and Donatella’s Versace, evoking their shared sense of style’s elegance, sensuality, and fun.
Versace’s Supermodel era inspires the form-fitting, cut gown adorned by Anne Hathaway shapes from the 1990s, and it is made of gold-thread French tweed with rhinestones.
Chloe Fineman
The “Saturday Night Live” cast member accessorized her custom Wiederhoeft gown—a pink sheath with a garland of dark-purple rosettes around her shoulders—with a dazzling pink cat-shaped handbag, ensuring that the absence of Choupette on the red carpet didn’t have to imply an altogether cat-free event.
Penelope Cruz
Cruz wore a delicate blue Chanel ball gown with sequins and pearls on the bodice and gemstones falling down the layers of the skirt. Cruz’s hair was pulled back, draping a beautiful translucent organza hood over it that was embellished with silver sequins. She finished her appearance with a leather belt and gemstone drop earrings.
Rita Ora
With her loose hair and smokey eye, Ora looked stunning, but her nails stole the show. Celebrity nail artist Naomi Yasuda wanted to recreate a “deconstructed Chanel necklace,” so she painted on Manucurist green flash in the shade Licorice for the black base and then made a tiny hole in the tip of the nail to attach the chain for dramatic effect. Karl and Rita were close, so Rita wanted to ensure she honored him in a way that meant something to her.
Doja Cat
Doja Cat’s Met Gala 2023 outfit recognized Karl Lagerfeld’s love of cats. She wore an Oscar De La Renta bejeweled and embellished garment, fake cat ears, and a human face. The ensemble paid humorous and original homage to Lagerfeld’s love of cats. It’s safe to assume that Doja Cat’s appearance would make the 2019 Cats movie jealous. Overall, her distinctive and striking outfit was a hit on the occasion.
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa wowed in a classic Chanel gown that oozed luxury at the 2023 Met Gala. The white dress had a corset-style bodice with a low neckline, a long skirt with pockets, and tassels at the hem. She dressed in black with her hair down and wore a long silver necklace as jewelry. The late Karl Lagerfeld initially created the outfit for Chanel’s 1992 fall/winter collection. Lipa’s attire honored the illustrious fashion designer and exhibited her flair and grace. The “Levitating” singer ensured she was the center of attention as she walked the Met Gala red carpet in her gorgeous gown.
Rihanna
Bad gal Riri floated onto the carpet wearing a stunning Valentino silk-faille dress (with a five-meter train, no less) and a cape with 30 camellias with 500 petals each. “It’s Valentino, baby,” she told the press. Was it thematic? Yes, it was!
Since Gabrielle Chanel pinned a camellia to her belt in 1913, the flower has been a reoccurring element in Chanel creations.
Kerry Washington
She adorned a two-piece lace costume from the Michael Kors Collection, including a bikini top and trumpet skirt, and draped an oversized blazer over her shoulders. She completed the look with a stunning Mikimoto pearl collar and Jennifer Behr hairpins.
Gisele Bundchen
A sheer white dress with vertical sequin stripes and a sweeping feathered cape from the spring/summer 2007 Chanel Haute Couture show made the Brazilian beauty stand out. The model attended the show independently for the first time since 2008—following her divorce from Tom Brady.
Nicole Kidman
On Met Gala Monday, Kidman re-created a favorite vintage look from the Chanel archives by donning the fluttery pink silk tulle dress she wore in her well-known Chanel No. 5 commercial from 2004. Over 3,000 silver crystals, sequins, and over 250 pink feathers are used in the stunning couture embroidery.