A Night of Glamour and Reflection at the Met Gala
Alysa Liu stood in front of a glittering crowd, sipping a cocktail and observing the scene around her. It was her first time attending the Met Gala, and she paused for a moment, searching for the right words to describe it.
“It’s… big,” she finally said with a smile.
But what Liu, dressed in a striking blood-red custom Louis Vuitton gown with a full skirt and large ruffles, couldn’t quite grasp was just how much she had become a star. Even among a sea of very famous people, everyone seemed eager to greet her. Some guests had been famous for years, while others had risen to stardom in record time. For Liu, it all came down to one gold-medal performance that captured the world’s attention.
“Everybody recognizes me!” she said, clearly surprised by the crowd’s reaction. “It’s crazy. Imagine that overnight, suddenly everyone knows who you are!”
She quickly moved on, soon spotted laughing with Connor Storrie of “Heated Rivalry,” another celebrity of the night who also arrived from an ice rink.
A Magical Setting
Under a full moon, the strains of harp music filled the air as guests made their way up the carpeted steps to the museum. They entered the Great Hall, which had been transformed into a Northern Italian garden. A huge moon hung from the ceiling, swaying gently, while below it, a floral centerpiece surrounded by cypress branches created a magical atmosphere.
A half dozen harpists played softly, serenading the guests who waited in line to shake the hands of the gala co-chairs — Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, and honorary chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos — but not yet the late-arriving Beyoncé.
The receiving line proved to be a long wait, according to Sarah Paulson, who shared her experience with the media.
“I waited 45 minutes,” the actor said, explaining why she hadn’t yet made it to the Conde M. Nast Galleries to see the fashion exhibit, “Costume Art.” Her feet hurt, and she joked, “You could cut my legs off at the ankle.”
A Feast of Flavors
As the Engelhard Court gradually filled, guests enjoyed snacks like lobster crostini or tomato and mozzarella “pillows.” Zoë Kravitz, who headed the host committee, greeted Storrie, who was clearly a major attraction, and complimented him on his work. Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid sat quietly chatting on the sidelines, hand in hand. Nearby, Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster did the same. Jackman stood up when skier Lindsey Vonn passed by, giving her a warm hug. Vonn, who suffered a traumatic leg injury at the Winter Olympics, used only a cane and sparkled in a Thom Browne gown.
The Billionaire Controversy
Ever since Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos were announced as honorary chairs, there had been anti-billionaire backlash in liberal New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would not attend. A group called Everyone Hates Elon — referencing Musk — had plastered posters at bus stops, such as one on the East Side saying “Dress code: Willful ignorance,” and on subways.
However, Rev. Al Sharpton had a different perspective. He had attended a few Met Galas and noted that billionaires have always been part of the event.
“There have always been billionaires here,” Sharpton said. “I may not agree with everything Bezos does, but do I abandon Beyoncé and Venus Williams?” He also praised Wintour for paying attention to diversity. “I opted to come.”
A Date Night for Jon Batiste
At previous galas, Jon Batiste has performed, sometimes leading a musical band with his melodica to get crowds to head to dinner. This time around, he had no gala responsibilities — and he was happy.
After all, he said, “It’s date night” with his wife, Suleika Jaouad. “A night in the museum,” he quipped. The couple were dinner guests of Wintour herself.
Batiste wore a look by Eli Russell Linnetz that he said echoed the work of late Black portraitist Barkley L. Hendricks — a long white coat and white ensemble underneath. Hendricks often juxtaposed Black skin with white clothes, Batiste noted. Jaouad wore a sumptuous Christian Siriano gown.
Progress and Setbacks in Diversity
Sinéad Burke, the Irish disability activist, said that when she was first approached to be on the host committee, “I said no.” Unless, she says she told organizers, they made the gala fully accessible.
They did, Burke says, arranging for a step-free entrance for guests who need it, south of the main entrance.
Burke ended up working closely with the museum for 18 months before the gala. She made sure there was room for disabled press to cover the gala carpet. She and her organization, Tilting the Lens, also helped train guides who will assist the public when they view “Costume Art,” which has a large section on the disabled body.
And Burke herself, who was born with dwarfism, agreed to pose for a custom mannequin; two outfits are displayed on mannequins created in her image.
“I’m proud of the small moments,” she said.
But a step backward, elsewhere
Model Lauren Wasser, also on the host committee, attended in a custom Prabal Gurung ensemble all in gold, including her trademark gold prosthetic legs.
She said she was glad the museum was shining a light on diversity in body types. But she cautioned that in the outside world, things are looking bleaker. (Research has found that designers are starting to turn away from using plus-size models, for example.)
“I want to see it in real life, too,” Wasser said of such diversity. “We had a moment. But we’ve taken a step back.”
Wearing Silver, Feeling Golden
The songwriter who won an Oscar for “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” was wearing, well, silver. But she said she was feeling golden.
In fact, EJAE, part of the team that won best original song for the impossibly catchy tune, said she was trying to channel a specific lyric with her gown, a Swarovski number dripping with crystals.
“I’m done hidin’, now I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be,” the song goes.
“I wanted to literally be shining,” EJAE said. Mission accomplished.
Sarah Paulson Has the Met’s Secrets — Remember?
This wasn’t the first rodeo for Paulson. In fact, it was her sixth Met Gala, she said.
But Paulson has more after-hours experience at the Met. She shot the movie “Ocean’s 8” there, a film about a heist during … the Met Gala.
“I spent a lot of time here — I know the secrets,” Paulson said. “They should watch out!”
Asked if six Met Galas got a little tiresome, Paulson said they did not.
“You can’t really believe the people here and the oxygen you’re sharing,” the actor said. “People from all the great talents of the world.”
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Are Heidi Klum Fans
Dinner was under way. Beyoncé had arrived, with Jay-Z and Blue Ivy.
But the assembled media on the carpet and various staffers in the museum lobby weren’t breaking for the night. There was one more big arrival to come. Yes, Rihanna.
When she and partner A$AP Rocky arrived in the Great Hall, they stopped for photos quickly and then headed toward the Temple of Dendur for dinner. But then they ran into Heidi Klum, who knows her way around a costume, virtually unrecognizable as a marble statue.
The couple spent 10 minutes or so laughing with Klum and complimenting her.
“This is the coolest outfit tonight, ain’t gonna lie,” A$AP Rocky noted.
“Oh my god, I can’t stand you!” Rihanna said admiringly.
“How much did they pay you to just stand here for the rest of the night?” the singer asked the statue. They all laughed.
