Met Gala 2023 LIVE updates: Serena Williams reveals pregnancy, Rihanna leaves it late

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union depart during The 2023 Met Gala.Credit: Getty

Thanks for joining us for our special coverage of this year’s Met Gala.

Although there were few genuine surprises (Serena Williams’ pregnancy one lovely exception), there were plenty of celebrities who had fun with the theme, and some genuine fashion moments that will go down in Met Gala history.

Australians were pretty well represented among the guest list: Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman mined the archives for their looks, while Miranda Kerr opted for a custom Dior gown.

Some of the key trends of the night included vintage, camellias, black and white, and, of course, cats.

In case you missed it, our gallery has all the best looks from the night. Thanks again, and see you next year!

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna have made it.Credit: Getty

The livestreams are wrapped, the party is in full swing, and Rihanna and partner A$AP Rocky have just casually slipped into the Met like the royalty they are. The pair were snapped leaving the Carlyle hotel – Rihanna in a Fendi fur, which we hope is vintage, and A$AP in a Gucci look that gives a subtle nod to Lagerfeld’s love of a tartan skirt.

On arrival, Rihanna had changed into a white hooded bodice covered in camellias over a full skirt with a cathedral-length train – referencing two of her previous Met Gala looks.

In 2018, when the Met Gala celebrated the role of the Catholic Church in fashion, Rihanna, one of the night’s co-chairs, came as a cardinal. And in 2015, for the China-themed gala, she wore an even longer train on her yellow Guo Pei gown.

For the Lagerfeld tribute, the Diamonds singer, who is pregnant with her second child, paid homage through her shoes, a pair of white pumps adorned with Chanel camellias and ribbons that wrapped around her calves. So, clearly, she’s not feeling the swollen ankle effects of pregnancy, or she’s just opted for footwear that can be adjusted at will. Clever.

Rihanna is pregnant with her second child.Credit: Getty Images

Some celebs haven’t made it, but at least the Kardashian/Jenners get to pose with a fan.Credit: Getty

Some of the world’s biggest stars have strutted down the red carpet so far, including Lizzo, Roger Federer and Kim Kardashian.

But as we skim the checklist of those we expect to attend such an iconic event, a few names remain notably missing.

The absence of Dune star Timothée Chalamet crushed the hopes of many who speculated whether he would use the event to debut his relationship with Kylie Jenner.

His co-star Zendaya was also missed, though she has not attended the Met Gala since 2019 when she wore a Cinderella dress designed by Tommy Hilfiger.

Rihanna teased fans with an Instagram photo of her wearing a vintage 1994 Chanel dress before the event began, but the singer – who revealed she was pregnant after performing at the Super Bowl halftime show in February – has so far not been spotted.

Pop legends Katy Perry and Lady Gaga are also yet to be seen, likely a disappointment for those who watch the Met Gala solely for creative, often eccentric costumes. Perry is remembered for her hamburger outfit at the after-party in 2019, and Gaga’s spectacular hot-pink Brandon Maxwell dress, which sported a 25-foot train, made headlines that same year.

And the Queen B herself – Beyonce – seemed to be missing in action. Though known for occasionally avoiding a red carpet moment (the most recent Grammy awards being an example), fans are still hoping the Cuff It singer will make a last-minute appearance – similar to her arrival in 2015.

As fellow queen Julie Andrews says: “a queen is never late. Everybody else is simply early”.

Inside the gala the celebs are hanging out. Dua Lipa (after a dress change), Penélope Cruz, Marion Cotillard and Margot Robbie pose inside.Credit: Getty

The gala proper is well under way, but while we wait for any late arrivals (Rihanna? Beyonce?), let’s recap some of the fashion action we’ve seen on the red carpet so far.

Damien Woolnough: It has been a restrained Met Gala, stunt outfits aside, which after the circus of the past few years is a welcome reset.

Melissa Singer: There has been a LOT of black and white, which was to be expected.

DW: I kept waiting for a moment to match Rihanna in Guo Pei (2015) or Kim Kardashian’s Marilyn Monroe dress (2022). Jared Leto in a literal cat suit does not count.

MS: Yes, I wonder how many of these outfits I’ll remember in five years’ time. Probably only a few. Cardi B was a standout for me. I also loved how many celebrities wore vintage looks but, again, will I remember them? Dua Lipa, yes. Nicole Kidman, unlikely.

DW: I’ve loved Anne Hathaway, Pedro Pascal and Michaela Coel. But I am still hanging out for Rihanna.

Jared Leto as Choupette; and in 2019 (right).Credit: Getty

The thing about the Met Gala is that most people take it soooo seriously. And then there’s actor Jared Leto, who has out-foxed even Doja Cat by coming as a cos-play version of Lagerfeld’s beloved Choupette.

But coming in costume isn’t new for Leto. Remember in 2019, when he came holding a wax impression of his own head?

His arrival as a life-sized Choupette stunned several guests, including Lizzo, before he revealed his identity and de-suited into his dinner attire, which included a black jewelled cape.

Still, he kept the head tucked under his arm. What can we say, the man likes a novelty head.

Remaining Jenny from the Block.Credit: Getty

We all have that friend who refuses to follow the theme for a fancy dress party.

In Anna Wintour’s case that friend is Jennifer Lopez, who has pretty much dismissed the dress code of honouring Karl with her Met Gala outfit.

With a tilted hat, opera gloves, Lorraine Schwartz jewellery and revealing Ralph Lauren gown, Lopez prefers to honour her incredible body.

This is a case of knowing what works for you and sticking with it.

The overall effect is reminiscent of Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington attending a funeral in the eighties television series Dynasty and we are here for it. Sorry Anna.

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness; Nicole Kidman; Margot Robbie, Catherine Martin and Baz Luhrmann; Kodi Smit-Mcphee; Miranda Kerr; Adut Akech; Margaret Zhang.Credit: Getty

Australia was well-represented at the Met Gala this year, with Nicole Kidman leading the charge wearing the dress Karl Lagerfeld designed for her in a Chanel commercial.

Miranda Kerr wore custom Christian Dior, while Margot Robbie continued her (somewhat up-and-down) relationship with Chanel.

Cardi B.Credit: Getty

With a theme as broad as Lagerfeld himself, there were so many directions the stars could go.

But I think Cardi B clearly understood the assignment with her Chenpeng gown, which plays on so many Karl-isms without veering too far into vaudeville territory.

First, she looks like the embodiment of a Chanel 2.55 handbag, with the quilting detail on the velvet gown.

Then, there are the camellias all over the skirt, the flower made synonymous with the house by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel herself that also became a hallmark of the Lagerfeld era.

There’s the nod to Lagerfeld’s uniform of a black tie and white shirt.

But really, the icing on the cake is the hair – it looks as if she has had it dyed to match Lagerfeld’s signature platinum hue, topped off with a headband.

On the red carpet, she said she hoped her look would impress the social media jury: “My God I hope I pass the test because once you get on Instagram that’s what you know you pass the test.”

What’s more extraordinary is that it wasn’t her first look of the night. Pictured leaving Manhattan’s Mark Hotel, where many stars seemed to have been holed up until red carpet time, the rapper appeared in a pink feathered gown by Misssohee.

Did she change on the way to the Met? In the bathrooms? We need to know.

Cardi B on the way to the Met Gala.Credit: Getty

Bad Bunny in Jacquemus and Jeremy Pope in Balmain at the Met Gala 2023.Credit: Getty

Having covered Harper’s Bazaar magazine, singer Bad Bunny continues his rapid move into fashion’s inner circle with his nubby white suit at the Met Gala.

The boxy Jacquemus creation is softened by a train of fabric camellias, Chanel’s signature flower, and a surprise back cut-out.

Perhaps Bunny has been getting tips from his supermodel girlfriend Kendall Jenner. The pair debuted their relationship this weekend in New York at a hookah bar.

Actor Jeremy Pope attempted to emulate Bunny’s on-trend train approach in a custom Balmain ensemble, featuring a giant image of Karl Lagerfeld.

Sometimes it’s better to whisper a theme, rather than shout it.

Roger Federer and Mirka Federer at the Met Gala.Credit: AP

Life has been a bit calmer for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer after putting the racquet aside last year, but he still knows how to steal the show.

One of the co-hosts of this year’s Met Gala, Federer arrived alongside his wife, Mirka, in a chic black tuxedo with peak lapels and the white-gold and black-dial version of the Perpetual 1908 Rolex – a flashy brand-new model.

Speaking to La La Anthony, the affable sports star said he was happily adjusting to a slower lifestyle, including weekend trips with the family and meeting up with friends.

This year is his second time strutting the red carpet after appearing at the Met Gala in 2017.

Federer said he felt he had a much better grasp of what was happening this time around.

“I didn’t know what to expect at that time [2017],” he said with a chuckle. “I feel like I kind of know how it’s gonna run now, I know the flow. Being a co-chair this year, obviously it makes me very happy, you know, being here with Anna [Wintour] and helping out The Metropolitan Museum and the Costume Institute.”