Coco Chanel was known for her long strands of fake pearls – a style code that Karl Lagerfeld transformed into a flashy signature as the creative director of her eponymous fashion house. The late Chanel designer takes center stage in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibit, and stars paid tribute to his signature accent on the Met Gala red carpet Monday night.
Kim Kardashian’s bespoke Schiaparelli nude dress (designed by Daniel Roseberry) is dripping with pearls, while soon-to-be guests Serena Williams and Karlie Kloss — both of whom confirmed their pregnancies at the soirée — also wore layers of pearl necklaces. Lil Nas X made quite the statement with silver paint, Swarovski crystals and ocean born object (and not much else) all over his body, and Lizzo wore a pearl-embellished black Chanel fall/winter 1991 dress. And Rihanna closed the carpet in a camellia-covered Valentino dress and a chunky diamond-and-pearl necklace .
Held as an annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Met Gala has been hosted and chaired by Anna Wintour since 1995. Coinciding with the unveiling of the museum’s annual fashion exhibition, this year’s theme is on Lagerfeld. Titled Karl Lagerfeld: a line of beautyhonoring the life and storied career of the late designer who died on February 19, 2019, the collection features more than 150 pieces, including sketches.
The Met Gala program features Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa and Fashion‘s Wintour as co-chairs of the evening.
See all the pearl-studded ensembles from the 2023 Met Gala below, and check out the best looks from the red carpet here.
Kim Kardashian in Daniel Roseberry’s modified Schiaparelli.
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Anne Hathaway wears Versace embellished with oversized safety pins and pearls.
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Lizzo wears Chanel ready-to-wear from Fall/Winter 1991.
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Phoebe Bridgers in a custom Tory Burch dress with hand-stitched ivory pearls on the seams and back.
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Brian Tyree Henry wears Karl Lagerfeld’s eponymous brand with layers of ruffles and pearl necklaces.
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Julia Garner wears a custom Gucci white silk dress with a pearl embellished collar and a crystal embellished velvet cape.
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Jenna Ortega in a custom Thom Browne corset dress.
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Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian both wear Gucci. The tennis superstar also wore jewelry from Tiffany & Co. and a Lenet New York headband.
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François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek Pinault in a bespoke dark red Gucci dress with pearl details.
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