Last night was the 2023 Met Gala, the annual event that brings together the wealthiest of celebrities to see how well they can stick to a theme. This year’s gala celebrated the life and career of Karl Lagerfeld, the iconic designer with a problematic reputation, known for heading fashion houses Chloe, Fendi and Chanel.
Known for dressing in flamboyant suits with opaque black sunglasses and fingerless gloves, the designer was flashy but he was also mysterious. His personal life was held close to his chest, even throughout his 6+ decade career. Dozens of celebrities attending the gala celebrated Lagerfeld’s iconic designs, but few knew how to honor the man, and not the work. However, a handful of celebrities were able to commemorate something a little more personal– Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved cat.
Doja Cat
Doja Cat is not one to shy away from stand-out outfits. For this year’s met gala, Doja donned a sparkling Oscar de la Renta gown that featured head to toe bead work and a long feathery train. Staying true to her name, Doja feline-afied the outfit with a cat-eared hood and facial prosthetics that gave her a cat-like appearance in the nose, mouth and eyes. She topped it off with a diamond headpiece that rested on her forehead, looking quite a bit like the beloved Choupette’s own facial markings. This was Doja’s first ever Met Gala, and if she can kill the theme like this on her first go, we cannot wait to see how she explores themes over the next several years.
Jared Leto
Despite being a total creep, Jared Leto knows how to go all in on a theme. This year he brushed off his furry costume (let’s be real, we know the man has some questionable kinks) and strolled the red carpet as a giant anthropomorphized version of Choupette. The outfit, which was really more of a mascot-like costume, featured Choupette’s signature blue eyes and light cream coloring. Really the only difference is that Leto is nearly six feet tall and Choupette is, well, cat sized.
Lil Nas X
We don’t want to know how long it took Lil Nas X to get ready for the Met Gala this year. The Grammy Award-winning singer donned head-to-know sparkles in his bare skin, grounded only by a pair of panties. The silver-clad outfit was an absolute show stopper, but it was also a nod to Karl’s feline friend. Nas’ outfit featured a pearlescent mask with little beaded whiskers and a fierce set of feline claws that put the otherwise almost sci-fi outfit on theme.
Chloe Fineman
Blink and you may miss SNL stunner Chloe Fineman’s homage to Choupette. The star, who looked absolutely stunning in her pink and black Wiederhoeft gown, was already on theme thanks to the camellia flowers that adorned her neckline. The camellia flowers are a symbol of Chanel, and Lagerfeld had the longest tenure at the helm of the brand. If that wasn’t enough, Chloe took an extra step to honor Karl, by carrying her very own petite Choupette in the form of a cat purse. The bag, which was designed by Judith Lieber, featured pink and white gems on a cat form. And in the words of Chloe herself, it was indeed purrrrrrfection!
Top photo: Photo of Lil Nas X, Doja Cat and Jared Leto from the Met Gala Official instagram, photo of Chloe Fineman from her instagram
