Fashion's biggest night has taken a feline twist with stars embodying late designer Karl Lagerfeld's cat.
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The annual Met Gala in New York is this year celebrating the Costume Institute exhibition's "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty."
Among the usual glitz and glamour on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art were tributes to the famous feline.
Choupette, a Birman cat, was doted on by the late fashion designer and turned down an invite to the event, preferring to stay "cozy at home".
Despite not making an appearance she was still the talk of the night thanks to actor Jared Leto.
His human-sized cat costume bore a striking resemblance to Choupette and the bizarre tribute was instantly trending on social media.
Singer and rapper Doja Cat also paid tribute with ears and feline-inspired prosthetics transforming her face.
The Met Gala has been hosted by Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour since 1995 and draws A-listers from music, theatre, film, sports and politics who will pay homage "in honour of Karl".
The sartorial tribute to fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who passed away in 2019, will showcase his legacy in clothing across several decades. Lagerfeld designed for prominent fashion houses such as Balmain, Chloé, Fendi and Chanel.
Here's everything you need to know about fashion's biggest night out.
What is the Met Gala?
Often dubbed the 'Oscars of fashion', the Met Gala is a fundraising event for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City.
Anna Wintour oversees the benefit committee and the guest list.
It is a highly exclusive event and a significant fundraising event with the 2022 gala raising more than $20 million for the Costume Institute.
It was first held in 1948 and tickets were $50 and mostly attended by members of the fashion industry. This year tickets cost up to $75,000.
Each year invitees collaborate with prominent designers to create a bespoke or vintage outfit that adheres to the theme of the night.
What takes place after the red carpet is largely a secret with photography and social media posts banned.
A tour of the exhibit and a dinner takes place inside. High profile artists including Rihanna and Justin Bieber have previously performed inside the benefit.
Who will attend?
On January 18, Vogue announced that its 2023 hosts would be Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa, and Vogue's Anna Wintour.
The event usually hosts around 600 attendees, according to Vogue. The entire guest list is a tightly-guarded secret.
Invited designers usually bring a celebrity "muse" but even they must be approved by Anna Wintour.
Will Kim Kardashian score an invite after last year's controversy?
For the 2022 Met Gala, Kim Kardashian arrived in a dress once worn by Marilyn Monroe, to sing 'Happy Birthday' to President John F Kennedy in 1962. The choice stirred outrage among fashion devotees and historians who were troubled by the reality TV star wearing a piece of fashion history. Kardashian rapidly lost weight to fit into the dress.
Despite criticism that she had permanently altered the dress, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, the organisation that owns the dress, posted a statement on its website denying claims that the dress had been stretched out of shape around the zipper and had lost some of the rhinestones.
But the Met Gala is no stranger to controversy, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez' choice to wear a white dress emblazoned with 'tax the rich' in 2021, sparking criticism. Some felt that it was a hypocritical statement as she rubbed shoulders with society's elite at one of the world's most exclusive events.
This year's theme has also drawn some criticism. Lagerfeld's influence on the fashion industry was indisputable but his comments on body image were controversial.
Lagerfeld once called the British singer Adele "a little too fat". He also made waves when he sniped that the Duchess of Cambridge's sister, Pippa Middleton, "should only show her back" because he disliked her face.
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How can I watch?
The gala will take place on Tuesday morning Australian time.
Fans can follow all the action on Vogue's livestream. The red carpet will be live-streamed on Vogue.com on May 1 throughout the night and will also be broadcast live across digital platforms Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Millie Costigan
