Most Hollywood red carpets are exhausting and tedious. But on Monday night, the Met Gala proved some of the biggest stars on the planet weren’t afraid to take some severe — and silly — fashion risks in the name of having fun. The theme for this year’s event, hosted by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, was “camp,” which to be fair, most celebrities who attended the charity dinner interpreted broadly. But that didn’t really matter. At what other industry event (certainly not the Oscars or the Golden Globes) could you see, in a single evening, Jared Leto holding his own prosthetic severed head, Billy Porter sprouting golden wings, Katy Perry wearing a chandelier from “Beauty and the Beast” and Zendaya donning a Cinderella dress that glowed in the dark? It was like Disneyland’s Main Street Electrical Parade had invaded the pages of Vogue. And, for the most part, the sights on display for three hours on a pink carpet on Manhattan’s Upper East Side were thrilling, sometimes horrifying, but never boring. Here are the biggest secrets and surprises from this year’s event. 1. Lady Gaga Won the Met with An Interpretative Dance and Four Costume Changes Usually, the best looks at the gala arrive late into the evening, but not this year. No sooner had Wintour stepped off the carpet at around 5:30 p.m., that the streets of Manhattan erupted with cheers. One day soon, Twitter will dissect the deeper meaning behind Gaga’s 20 minutes of choreography. But standing on the sidelines of the Met, it was like being at a concert, as Gaga peeled off one magnificent gown (pink) for another (black) for a third (back to pink) with a plastic telephone as her prop, before crawling up and down the steps of the museum in a bra and fishnet stockings. Was it camp? Who knows, but it was a glorious performance. Even Wintour, who usually quickly disappears inside, couldn’t resist lurking at the top of the steps for the entire charade. When asked by a journalist how anyone else could compete, she yelled back: “They can’t!” 2. The Award for Biggest Entourage Goes to … Cardi B required the help of eight different people to carry her blood-red dress. 3. What Happens If You Don’t Speak Camp? Celine Dion (who stunned in a gown from the closet of “Fosse/Verdon”) admitted that she initially thought the theme referred to camping. And indeed, not everybody was in on the joke. A few celebrities looked like they were wearing leftover frocks from the People’s Choice Awards. Frank Ocean wore a plain Prada poncho as he (in a campy gesture) took photos of the photographers shooting pictures of him. Mayor Michael Bloomberg also went with a safe, classic tuxedo. “You have to work with what God gave us,” he said, about not embracing a splashier look. 4. Kris Jenner is a Devoted Mom Jenner showed up early on the carpet, with the first batch of celebrities. But when Hollywood’s favorite reality TV mom got to the top of the stairs, she waited and waited … and waited. More than an hour went by, as she made small talk with random designers and even welcomed Michael B. Jordan with a kiss on the cheek. Finally, it became clear what she looking for. As soon as Kim Kardashian made her way up the Met staircase, Jenner took out her phone and started recording. 5. Keeping Up With the Kardashian-Wests Remember when it was controversial for the fashionistas to celebrate America’s No. 1 reality TV family? Those days are history. In fact, the Kardashians — Kim (in brown latex), Kendall Jenner (orange feathers) and Kylie (a purple dress with a boa) — treated the Met Gala like it was their own Cannes Film Festival red carpet. After the three daughters made it to the top, joined by mom Kris (and with Kayne by Kim’s side), they turned around and walked down the stairs and then walked back up them as a family. No movie star or singer could compete. 6. The One Thing Katy Perry Wouldn’t Say “I’m retiring the word ‘lit’ tonight,” the singer confessed, as she slowly wobbled up the carpet in a gown that resembled a chandelier, fitted with lightbulbs. 7. An Entrance Suited for Cleopatra Six shirtless men carried Billy Porter on a caravan to the entrance of the Met. Once he arrived, he spun his arms to reveal a pair of golden wings attached to his costume. He said that it took him five hours to get dressed. 8. Is Fashion Political? Lena Waithe wore a suit with the words “Black Drag Queens Invented Camp,” written on the back. It was a pointed political reminder that the night owed its inspiration to a group of people that somehow weren’t included on the list of invitations. 9. Couples That Stayed Close Jennifer Lopez clutched A-Rod’s hand as she made her way up the stairs. Kanye West lovingly kept a hand on Kim’s back as she talked to press. Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra did a few interviews together. And fresh from a secret wedding ceremony in Morocco last week, Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre beamed as they accepted congratulations. 10. All Hail, Queen Nicki Being the last to arrive at the Met Gala is always a power play move. Just ask Madonna. This year, that honor went to Nicki Minaj. At around 9 p.m., the Queen Bee rapper was still slowly chatting with reporters as the carpet closed down, proving — in case you had any doubts — that she had the stamina to outlast everyone else on New York’s biggest night for fashion. Full Pink Carpet Gallery from the 2019 Met Gala Here.<doc-sep>Rihanna is tipping her hat to Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Rihanna, who is arguably one of the queens of Met Gala fashion, has officially dubbed Wintour as "best dressed" at the 2019 Met Gala. The Fenty designer presented Wintour with the honors in a tweet on Monday. Wintour was the first to arrive at the Metropolitan Museum for Art for tonight's big event, which was themed "Camp: Notes on Fashion." She wore a beautiful pink sequined couture Chanel gown that also featured a pink and purple feather cape. Wintour ran the show this year with Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele and teamed up with Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and Serena Williams as co-chairs for the big event. RiRi held the honors last year for "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination." The famed fashion journalist won more than just "best dressed" for the night. She should also be crowned with "best reaction to Lady Gaga's dramatic entrance."<doc-sep>Gala attendees made their way to the pink carpet before I could even get settled. I looked up and Ashley Graham was headed in my direction dressed in a chic Dapper Dan x Gucci blazer dress. It was so amazing to see both Dapper Dan and his design on the pink carpet, the sight of a black designer and one who aligns perfectly with the theme. The fans onlooking the carpet from 5th Ave and and yelling names were our unofficial guides to who would be walking the carpet next. When the screaming was loud and non-stop—like when Miley Cyrus made her grand entrance with Liam Hemsworth—we knew to get our cameras ready. The experience was unforgettable. I got to eavesdrop on interviews from icons like Dapper Dan who described all of his looks for the night as a “collage that represents all the different elements of CAMP” and Katy Perry responding to a reporter who called her chandelier look “lit,” by saying “I’m retiring that word tonight.” My favorite moment was a reporter yelling to Ciara, “What’s the prayer?” referring to her level up to husband Russell Wilson from rapper Future. The highlight of my night was watching Cardi B shut down the carpet with her three-meter long train attached to her custom Thom Browne gown. There was an army of about 10 people who guided her up each flight of stairs before she stopped and posed. I was lucky enough to have a friend who was a part of Cardi’s dress army and just about every other celebrity, so he’d steer them my way as they neared the top of the steps. That’s my type of friends in high places— the ones who lookout for you and the content you need. I was a slight bit disappointed both Rihanna and Beyoncé didn’t attend because I was eager to see how they interpreted the theme. Icons like Naomi Campbell made up for their absence in my heart. I admired her from afar as she greeted each attendee who walked by her. She stood at the top of the steps and observed the carpet like a queen, she was almost too perfect to be real. There were a plethora of fun moments like catching meme worthy faces from Kanye and Lizzo. I also enjoyed seeing Lena Waithe and Kerby Jean-Raymond’s detailed Pyer Moss suits up close. It was like a celebration and a reunion, I now see why this is dubbed the prom of fashion. When it was time to go home reporters (including myself) flocked to the carpet to grab their own photos on the pink carpet. At the bottom of the carpet was a bed of feathers—purple from Kylie’s playful frock, orange from Kendall’s ensemble, and red feathers from Cardi’s train. One reporter hilariously commented, “I’m taking these to sell on Ebay in the future.” That’s not a bad idea, but I chose to collect the pink roses from the side of the carpet floral arrangement as my personal keepsake and yes I plan to keep them forever. Maybe I won’t, but in this moment it feels like the most real thing to keep my memory alive forever. My toes are numb from standing in heels all night and my throat hurts from yelling the attendees names to grab their attention, but my first Met Gala carpet experience was one of the most exhilarating moments I’ve ever had. Here’s to knocking one off the bucket list, and hoping I get to attend next year too.<doc-sep>1 / 11 Chevron Chevron Photo: Courtesy of Saskia Lawaks By now Miley Cyrus is a regular at the Met Gala, but this year the star marked a special milestone: her first trip to the event with husband Liam Hemsworth. Clad in coordinated Saint Laurent, the couple made a striking pair on the pink carpet. And yet despite their glamorous appearance, they remain down to earth. “I was walking out and I realized Liam had put his phone in this like it’s a real pocket!” Cyrus shared with Vogue on the steps of the museum before demonstrating how the curved flap of her sculptural Anthony Vaccarello design could be mistaken for a place to store an iPhone. “They do camp in a fierce, punk, kind of way— I think right now Saint Laurent is what makes me feel most myself.” Hijinks aside, Cyrus and Hemsworth were well prepared for their evening with fashion legends Bob Recine and James Kaliardos at hand to help. Playful as always, Hemsworth even applied a touch of Cyrus’s makeup borrowing one of Kaliardos’ brushes and trying his hand at powder application. A career change probably isn’t on the horizon, but it made for a delightful photo opp. In the first pair of Saint Laurent vegan shoes ever to be made, Cyrus provided a moment for the history books while looking chic at an event she admits is her favorite. “[The Met] is like a reunion of all your friends and it starts feeling like family,” she said. “I’ve always been here solo so I wore higher heels because I have someone to hold me this time.” See All of the Celebrity Looks From the Met Gala 2019 Red Carpet: 1 / 100 Chevron Chevron Photo: Getty Images Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell Met Gala 2019: See Every Celebrity Arrival, Read the Latest Stories, and Get Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Here<doc-sep>
The editor-in-chief and co-chair made her Met Gala entrance in a fully feathered look, inspired by the Susan Sontag essay that inspired the gala itself Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, has been a co-chair of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala for more than 20 years, and she has tended to stick to a fairly simple silhouette (better to let stars do their thing) for most of them. But she promised to pull out all the stops for 2019’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme, and she delivered. The 69-year-old editor and co-chair of the gala opened the night in a pink crystal-embellished column Chanel gown with a pink and purple feathered cape. She topped off her look with jeweled necklaces that made her ensemble even more dazzling. In an interview with CNN Style, Wintour had hinted that her outfit would pay homage to Susan Sontag, whose essay “Notes on Fashion” was the inspiration by this year’s theme. “There’s a quote from Sontag’s Notes [on Fashion] that says ‘Camp is a woman walking around in a dress made of 3 million feathers’ so I think I might be taking inspiration from that,” Wintour revealed. And she did just that in her colorful look as she walked the carpet with her daughter, Bee Shaffer Carrozzini, who chose a black suit with red swirl appliqué and long train. Bee Shaffer and Anna Wintour Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Be sure to check out all of PEOPLE’s Met Gala coverage to get the latest news on fashion’s biggest night. “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” the grand theme of the night, was selected by Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The gala is centered around the new exhibition which will feature fine art and fashion pieces that will “trace the origins of the subject from the 17th century, specifically the court of Versailles, to the present day,” according to Vogue. So, not exactly “camp” involving tents, sleeping bags, or s’mores — but campy fashion that exaggerates and is over the top — whether it’s “pop camp, queer camp, high camp or political camp,” Bolton told The Times. And in a nutshell, Wintour described the unique theme as, “Basically, we go from sun kings to drag queens,” she said during a press conference back in February. In a video for Vogue she said this year’s theme is all about “self expression and individuality.” Adding, “What we’re all most hoping to see is something that is outrageous, something that is fun, tounge-in-cheek. So my guess is that we’re going to see a overly amount of feathers on the red carpet.”