The Internet Reacts To The 2023 Met Gala And The Memes Do Not Disappoint

If you’re not familiar with the Met Gala, first of all, I don’t blame you. But let's have a brief history lesson on what this extravagant event is all about. The Met Gala was founded in 1948 by publicist Eleanor Lambert as a charity event that would raise funds for the recently founded Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first event took place in December 1948 and featured a dinner that cost $50 per ticket. Prior to 1971, the “Met Gala” was not actually held at the art museum, but instead at venues around New York City such as Central Park, the Rainbow Room and the Waldorf Astoria. 

Although the Met Gala as we know it today has only been around for several decades, the purpose of the event remains the same: to fundraise for the Costume Institute and kick off the opening of its annual exhibit. It is still one of the largest fundraising events in New York City, raising about $15 million each year. This year, there were 400 guests in attendance, and each ticket cost a whopping $50,000.  

The theme of the event changes every year, depending on the exhibition that the Costume Institute will be unveiling, and this year, their exhibit is titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” The legendary designer Lagerfeld passed away in 2019 at the age of 85, but his legacy lives on. Guests chose to either wear a piece that Lagerfeld previously designed or have something new created that resembles his own work. “Nicole Kidman, Naomi Campbell, Dua Lipa and Gisele Bundchen were among those to wear vintage Chanel, while Vanessa Kirby opted for vintage Chloé,” Harper’s Bazaar reported.

Others who had new looks created to pay homage to the famous designer included Margot Robbie, Allison Williams, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne. Some celebrities were even more creative, however, and decided to attend the event in nearly unrecognizable looks. Apparently, Karl Lagerfeld was the parent and best friend of an adorable cat named Choupette, whom Jared Leto and Doja Cat decided to channel for the Met Gala. Jared Leto dressed in a spot on head-to-toe Choupette suit, only revealing his identity when he removed he suit’s head, and Doja Cat wore a more toned-down look, with an elegant gown and prosthetic makeup that turned her face into that of a cat.   

When it comes to the most popular looks of the night, everyone is free to have their own opinions, but according to Harper’s Bazaar, there were a few standouts. Naomi Campbell wore an elegant, pink vintage Chanel dress that was created by Lagerfeld himself. Lily Collins also looked stunning in a Vera Wang dress which featured a white bodice and a flowing black skirt with “KARL” sewn onto its train. Rihanna also made quite the statement, with a dramatic white gown which covered from her head to her waist with large white flowers. She also completed the look with white sunglasses which had long, false eyelashes on them, which Twitter seemed to love. 

Michaela Coel wore a gorgeous brown, bejeweled gown with 130,000 crystals on it. It seems to have various suns and stars on it, and it was certainly a showstopper. Anok Yai sported a stunning mini dress paired with statement sunglasses and sheer elbow-length opera gloves. And Nicole Kidman was another crowd favorite, as she donned an iconic, vintage Chanel dress that she actually wore in 2005 in a commercial for Chanel No. 5 directed by Baz Luhrmann.  

Anne Hathaway sported a beautiful, floor length Versace dress that featured tweed fabric and Versace safety pins holding the whole thing together. Lily Aldridge was another featured on many “best dressed” lists, as she wore a simple yet beautiful black gown by Oscar de la Renta. It had big black bows on her shoulders and a long, pink train. Camilla Morrone wore a gorgeous velvet black dress with white lace on top and a dramatic train and cape. And Allison Williams wore a bright orange satin dress by Patou that featured a large bow on the shoulder, paired with black opera gloves. 

While there were plenty of iconic looks strutting out at the Met Gala, not every fit can win. Along with all of the best dressed looks of the night, there must be some “worst dressed” individuals as well. High Snobiety broke down some of their least favorite looks, and one that they noted was Kendall Jenner’s bodysuit. She wore a black sequin-covered bodysuit (sans pants) with a silver pointed collar and sleeves that extended down to the floor. Dr. Dre has also landed on the worst dressed list, as he donned a simple black suit, with a matching blue and black button-down shirt and tie. 

Florence Pugh’s look was also controversial, with a white dress that appeared to be a massive duvet trailing behind her and a black headpiece that extended with feathers about 2 feet above her head. Some looks are just so bold that they cannot fairly be deemed best or worst, though. They can only be accepted for what they are. One of such looks is Lil Nas X’s head-to-toe silver, crystal outfit. The rapper’s look was inspired by Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette and featured only a silver Dior thong, silver platform boots and sparkles and gems over the rest of his body.  

Talking Heads frontman David Byrne also made quite the entrance with a white suit crafted by Martin Greenfield Clothiers, bright yellow sneakers and a vintage bicycle by his side. Ariana Debose sported a look that raised some eyebrows as well, with a bright yellow satin ensemble that featured fur details on her arms. But something else that stole the show from some of the celebrities was the actual carpet. For the first time ever, the Met Gala featured a beige carpet with red and blue stripes, rather than the classic red carpet, and Twitter had a field day comparing the floor to toothpaste that your dentist might recommend. 

Are these photos making you want to attend next year’s Met Gala, pandas? Unfortunately, you might not be able to snag a ticket, as they'll be going for at least $50,000, but you’re always welcome to join in on the festivities following the event on Twitter. Let us know in the comments below what you thought of this year’s looks, and be sure to keep upvoting your favorite reactions. Then, if you’re interested in looking back on last year’s Met Gala, you can find another Bored Panda list featuring reactions to those looks right here!