It's the first Monday in May (in the US, anyway), which means the Met Gala - hailed as the biggest night in the fashion calendar - is currently underway at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The exclusive, invitation-only gala - an annual fundraiser for the Met's Costume Institute - sees the who's who of the fashion, business and entertainment industries congregate for a night of haute couture, their glamorous garb guided by a specific dress code that typically reflects the theme of the Institute's yearly exhibition.
This year, however, the dress code diverts from the exhibition itself. Titled 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion', the exhibit features roughly 250 archival garments spanning 400 years, all of which have been drawn from the Costume Institute's permanent collection. As many are too fragile to be worn, the exhibit instead breathes new life into the historical pieces by utilising tools such as AI, CGI, video animation, light projection and sound-scaping.
As usual, the Met Gala coincides with the opening of the new exhibit, which will officially open to the public on May 10.
The theme for the red carpet, meanwhile, is 'The Garden of Time'; a reference to the 1962 short sci-fi story of the same name by British author JG Ballard. In the lead-up to the event, fashion commentators speculated that while many of the guests will opts for archival looks and sci-fi references, florals will, of course, be abundant as an obvious interpretation of the theme. Queue, "florals for spring? Groundbreaking."
This year's co-chairs are Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth, who are sharing hosting duties with Vogue editor-in-chief and Costume Institute trustee Anna Wintour, who has served as the gala's co-chair since 1995. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and Jonathan Anderson, creative director of the fashion label Loewe, are honorary chairs.
Several stars have made their Met Gala debut this year, including Hemsworth himself. Other newcomers include The Bear's Ayo Edebiri, who wowed in floral Loewe; 90s' Baywatch icon Pamela Anderson, who arrived in an ethereal, custom Oscar de la Renta gown; South African singer and 'Water' hitmaker Tyla; and Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez.
Although the star-studded guest list is shrouded in secrecy ahead of the event, each of the 400 or so seats are paid for, typically by a brand. This year an individual ticket cost US$75,000, up $25,000 from last year; tables, meanwhile, started at $350,000. Each guest is personally approved by Wintour herself.
This article will be updated with our favourite stand-out looks from the red carpet.
The Met Gala red carpet has now finished.
Zendaya
A stalwart of the best-dressed lists, today is no exception - with the Challengers star and Met Gala co-chair stepping out in custom Maison Margiela by John Galliano. The earthy organza look took direct inspiration from this year's botanical theme, the gown adorned with leaves, grapes, beetles and birds.
Later in the night, the Euphoria actress returned to the red carpet for round two, this time in an archival gown by John Galliano for Givenchy's spring/summer 1996 collection. To complete the look, Zendaya's long-time stylist Law Roach sourced an archival Alexander McQueen headpiece by Philip Treacy from spring/summer 2007, which resembled a bouquet of roses.
Jennifer Lopez
Co-chair Jennifer Lopez stunned in a sheer custom gown by Schiaparelli, reminiscent of a spider's glittering web. The design reportedly took over 800 hours to embroider and features more than 2.5 million silver-foil bugle beads.
Bad Bunny
Puerto Rican rapper and co-chair Bad Bunny rocked the red carpet in a custom Maison Margiela suit. According to reports, his look references Count Axel from The Garden of Time short story that inspired this year's dress code, particularly with the addition of a bouquet of fabric flowers.
Chris Hemsworth
The Thor actor and his wife, model and actress Elsa Pataky, were the first to hit the red carpet on Monday evening, soon followed by Hemsworth's fellow co-chairs. The couple made their Met Gala debut in coordinating custom Tom Ford looks, with Hemsworth opting for a bespoke wool three-piece suit with black patent leather boots and a gold Chopard watch.
Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid is a vision in custom Thom Browne, despite the ruffled extravaganza needing the help of five handlers. The embroidered corset transitions into a white silk tailored jacket suspended below the waist, while the skirt is adorned with 3D yellow roses. Speaking to Vogue, Hadid said the gown took 5000 hours to embroider and required the work of 70 people.
Ayo Edebiri
For her Met Gala debut, The Bear star Ayo Edebiri commanded the red carpet in stunning floral Loewe, designed by creative director Jonathan Anderson. As per Vogue, the gown features hand-painted and hand-embroidered lace, with the layers of three-dimensional flowers bringing the creation to life.
Kendall Jenner
The supermodel has become the first person to ever wear an archival look from Alexander McQueen's fall 1999 collection for Givenchy haute couture. The collection itself was presented on mannequins and never shown on the runway. Since then, the gown has been preserved in the Givenchy archives - where it will return after its first-ever outing.
"It's been sleeping for the last 25 years. It's literally a 'sleeping beauty'," Jenner told Vogue. "It's such a special moment. I feel extremely honoured that they're allowing me to wear it."
Demi Moore
The Hollywood icon wore a velvet and silk Harris Reed creation emblazoned with large pink peonies, reportedly procured from dead stock wallpaper. According to Vogue, the hand-painted silk organza at the bottom of the gown was designed to mimic the wilting flowers' decay. Moore teamed the look with diamond pieces from Cartier's High Jewelry collection, Nature Sauvage, which will formally launch on May 27.
Lana Del Rey
The songstress captivated the red carpet crowds in her ethereal custom design by Alexander McQueen's Seán McGirr (pictured with her above). As per Vogue, the look references an archival McQueen creation from the fall 2006 collection. The silk and tulle gown has been hand-embroidered with hammered bronze-bullion hawthorn branches, inspired by the patina and form of sculptures made by the Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti, Vogue reports. The dramatic custom headpiece features natural hawthorn branches draped with tulle.
Kim Kardashian
The makeup mogul opted for Maison Margiela by John Galliano, showing off her impossibly small waist in a tightly corseted metallic silver creation with a metal skirt that resembled floral lace chainmail. For contrast (or perhaps to cover a wardrobe malfunction?), the reality star held a grey shrug around her shoulders.
Harris Reed
The creative director of French fashion house Nina Ricci wowed in a fantastical sage green creation - of course, by Harris Reed himself - printed with birds, flora and fauna, complete with an architectural, structured bodice and matching headpiece.
Jessica Biel
The Sinner star is a dream in a striking pink Tamara Ralph gown adorned with petal embellishments, complete with a plunging neckline and trailing skirt. She teamed the dramatic look with loose waves and Cartier jewels.
Barry Keoghan
The Saltburn star also channeled Count Axel from The Garden of Time in an earth-toned Burberry three-piece suit, complete with a top hat, pussybow detailing and a pocket watch - clear references to historical high fashion. Keoghan was later posed for pics with pop-star and reported girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter, making the event their red carpet debut as a couple. Carpenter, meanwhile, turned heads in an Oscar de la Renta gown that drew inspiration from an orchid.
Cardi B
Among the last stars to arrive was rapper Cardi B, who made a dramatic entrance in a show-stopping voluminous black gown by Windowsen that essentially blocked the red carpet. Over 10 assistants were seen helping the star - who is known for her avant-garde looks - navigate the carpet, arranging the gown as she posed for photographers.
