NEW YORK: A-listers from the worlds of fashion, film, politics and sports celebrated the late king of couture, Karl Lagerfeld, at the annual Met Gala on Monday, bringing their top style game to New York, oozing glamour — and delivering serious baby news.

Pop superstar Rihanna showed up late as usual but shut down the red carpet all the same, tennis legend Serena Williams and supermodel Karlie Kloss debuted their baby bumps with flair — and two celebs dressed up as Lagerfeld’s cat.

Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Michelle Yeoh, singers Cardi B and Bad Bunny, WNBA superstar Brittney Griner and supermodels Gisele Bundchen and Kate Moss were also among the hundreds of invitees at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The guest list is tightly curated by Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue who took over the charity gala in the 1990s and transformed it into one of the world’s buzziest fetes.

This year, the extravaganza — which always falls on the first Monday of May, save for a pandemic-era schedule change — celebrates Lagerfeld, and ushers in the opening of a Costume Institute exhibition dedicated to the iconic designer, who died in 2019.

“Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” pays homage to his decades in the industry at the helm of Chanel, Fendi, Chloe and his own line, all the while molding the future of fashion.

And the celebs in attendance understood the style assignment, most of them sporting vintage looks from the elegant German-born designer — or silhouettes that reflected his aesthetic.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2023