All the vintage dresses from the Met Gala 2023

The Met Gala 2023 went down with its signature mix of glamour, eccentricity, elegance and, never more so than this year, black and white, "in honour of Karl", to quote the dress code chosen by Anna Wintour for this edition. For weeks we have been wondering what the many guests invited to the event most anticipated by the fashion world would wear, and finally we have the answer: lots of vintage. And it could not be any other way, considering the long and prolific career of Karl Lagerfeld, who provided a rich archive as inspiration for the outfits of Rihanna, JLo, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman and the other celebrities on the red carpet. Some preferred to go even further back in time and dig out some of the German designer's outfits from his time at Chloé, such as Olivia Wilde, Margaret Zhang and Maude Apatow, who wore part of the FW83 collection; but most, as could easily be guessed, opted for archival Chanel pieces. Starting with two of the co-hosts, Dua Lipa and Penelope Cruz. The singer looked super chic in a white tweed wedding gown with a black bodice, consisting of a corolla bodice and skirt, previously worn on the FW92 Couture runway by Claudia Schiffer, who paired it with a Tiffany & Co diamond necklace of over two hundred carats on the advice of her stylist Lorenzo Posocco. Another wedding dress also for Penelope Cruz, who gave new life to one of the creations from the Chanel Couture SS88 collection, complete with a veil covering the actress' head. 

Dua Lipa - Chanel Couture FW92

Penelope Cruz - Chanel Couture SS88

Olivia Wilde - Chloé FW83

Vanessa Kirby - Chloé FW83

Nicole Kidman, on the other hand, made a revival by wearing the same fluffy pink feather dress that featured in the 2004 ad for Chanel No. 5 perfume, an almost-real film directed by Baz Luhrmann that is one of the most expensive commercials in history because of the star's participation and because of the romantic dress designed by Lagerfeld. Also self-referential was Gisele Bündchen, who chose an ethereal gown with feather cape from Chanel Couture SS07, which the model had previously worn in a photo shoot for Harper's Bazaar. Margot Robbie strode up the Met stairs in a one-shoulder dress designed by Lagerfeld for the Chanel Haute Couture SS93 collection with chain detail on the bustier, worn at the time by Cindy Crawford.

Gisele Bündchen - Chanel Couture SS07

Nicole Kidman - Chanel 2004 spot

Margot Robbie - Chanel Haute Couture SS93

The very elegant Naomi Campbell, turned up for the evening in a pale pink satin sari with sequins from the Chanel Haute Couture SS10 collection, paired with stiff bangles and metallic strappy sandals. Some of the best moments from yesterday also included BLACKPINK's Jennie Kim in a look from the Chanel FW90 collection, Angèle in Chanel SS95, Marion Cotillard in Chanel Couture FW07, Kristen Stewart in a Chanel Resort 2017 jacket and tie and Suki Waterhouse, hand in hand with Robert Pattinson in a dress from the Fendi SS19 collection.

Naomi Campbell - Chanel Haute Couture SS10

Kristen Stewart - Chanel Resort 2017

Angèle - Chanel SS95

Jennie Kim - Chanel FW90

Suki Waterhouse - Fendi SS19

Thus, many celebrities did not wear vintage pieces, but new outfits inspired by Lagerfeld's creations. Among them Lizzo, who was directly inspired by the beaded Chanel FW91 look worn by Linda Evangelista on the catwalk. Pearls, too, for Kim Kardashian, who chose Lagerfeld's favourite jewellery as the star of her signature Schiaparelli look, which consists of a shaped corset top and draped skirt, both embellished with 16,000 pearls. Camellias, Chanel's signature flower, on the other hand, adorned Rihanna's Valentino cape. 

Lizzo- Chanel FW91

Ashley Graham in Harris Reed - Chanel FW87

The most loving tribute was Amber Valletta's, who wore a fan bustier by Anita, the seamstress who worked with Karl Lagerfeld for 50 years and interpreted his vision. A guaranteed wow effect was the black and pink evening gown created by Harris Reed for Ashley Graham, quoting a similar dress worn by Inès de La Fressange, Karl Lagerfeld's muse, on the Chanel FW87 catwalk. There was no shortage of tributes to Choupette, Lagerfeld's cat, who did not appear on the red carpet but was replaced by Jared Leto and Doja Cat, or to those who wore a black and white suit made special by Lagerfeld's favourite accessories such as pearls, tie and bows.