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NEW YORK – Crowds of celebrities, including singers, athletes, models, actors and fashion designers, turned out for the Met Gala in New York on Monday with an unusual commitment to elegance, praise for the late fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld and multitude of nods to his legacy.

The event, one of the most exclusive parties in the US, dictated a very clear dress code compared to recent years: a tribute had to be paid to the German designer who for decades, and until his last days, was the creative soul of the haute couture brand Chanel, but also Fendi and Chloé.

Neither the extravagance of Kim Kardashian and her sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner, queens of sensuality on the red carpet, nor the singer Rihanna, who arrived an hour and a half late hidden in a voluminous cape of white flowers, eclipsed the prominence of the absent couturier. since 2019.

It was not the first time that the night of fashion paid homage to a designer, but it was difficult to remember a reason why the guests continued in this way, almost to the letter, perhaps because of the recognizable aesthetics of Lagerfeld’s creations and also that of their own identity, which is part of pop culture.

Thus, the black and white pairing, pearls, velvet bows, flowers, sequins and chain accessories predominated, and there were spectacular details such as the actor Jeremy Pope’s cape with the designer’s face, or the voluminous skirt of Cardi B in the likeness of Chanel’s quilted bags.

TRIBUTES TO PLENTY

Supermodels like Carla Bruni, Gisele Bundchen and Naomi Campbell, among the most acclaimed, brought out their “vintage” Chanel dresses; Nicole Kidman recovered the one she wore 20 years ago in the Chanel No. 5 ad, and Margot Robbie and Dua Lipa searched for nineties outfits in the brand’s archive.

Penelope Cruz, one of the hosts of the event at the request of US Vogue editor Anna Wintour, wore a white sequined couture gown with a hood by Chanel from 1998, a year before she met Lagerfeld, and recalled her last moment. lived together, a walk in Central Park after his latest collection.

Cruz led a large Hispanic group in which her friend Salma Hayek stood out, wearing a red Gucci dress, who said she had been a neighbor of Lagerfeld’s during his time in Paris; or Maluma, in a gray suit and a white scarf embroidered with a letter that the designer wrote to the Hugo Boss house in the 80s.

Some guests chose to emulate the couturier, with classic suits, sunglasses or gloves; and even the designer’s cat, Choupette, was honored: actor Jared Leto caused a sensation by appearing dressed as this animal, and singer Doja Cat was unrecognizable with a facial prosthesis that turned her face like that of a feline.

RISKS, SURPRISES AND MONEY

Many men took risks in their bets, like the singer Bad Bunny, who wore a white suit with an open back, or Pedro Pascal, who put on red shorts to match a long jacket, although more extreme was Lil Nas X, that he was practically naked and painted with glitter.

As always, the event gave room for surprises, and on this occasion the tennis player Serena Williams, who is expecting her second child with businessman Alexis Ohanian, announced two pregnancies; and model Karlie Kloss, also her second with businessman Joshua Kushner.

And in the wait until Rihanna’s arrival, some celebrities began to leave and offered close moments: the basketball player Brittney Griner, recently released from Russia, melted into a hug with the also basketball player Dwayne Wade, and the singer P. Diddy he took his partner out for pizza.

Not everything was glamorous, since among other surprises there was also the appearance of a cockroach on the white carpet, not the red one, and the rapid incursion of a group of policemen into the museum, who left several minutes later, avoiding explaining what had happened.

The event accompanies the Met Fashion Institute’s big annual exhibition and raises funds at about $50,000 per person, but you can only attend if you have an invite and a lot of money (or a sponsor) and editor Anna Wintour supports it. approves.