The Met You Didn’t See: Mehdi Lacoste’s Fly-on-the-Wall Photos of Fashion’s Biggest Night

Most Met Gala guests wore high heels or polished dress shoes on Monday night. But photographer Mehdi Lacoste matched his tuxedo with a pair of black Nikes. It was an inspired (or just plain practical) choice: Vogue’s fly-on-the-wall photographer needed to hop over Blake Lively’s majestic train, weave between Rihanna and Sarah Jessica Parker, and dash from Ariana Grande in the Great Hall to Bella Hadid in the Temple of Dendur, camera always in hand. Much of the Met Gala photos the world sees are the showstopping moments: the red carpet reveals and perfectly poised Instagrams. Lacoste’s shots, however, capture fashion’s biggest night at its more candid—the conversations, laughs, and introspective seconds. As a beaming Jennifer Lopez, flanked by boyfriend Alex Rodriguez, went to embrace Mary J. Blige, Lacoste moved into position. “These,” he said, “are my favorite moments.”