It’s the first Monday in May, and that means the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute gala is tonight. Hosted by Rihanna, Amal Clooney, Donatella Versace, Anna Wintour, and Stephen and Christine Schwarzman, the gala is expected to draw crowds of fashion and art lovers to the Met in their most reverent ensembles. Guests will be expected to dress in their “Sunday best” to properly celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” curated by Andrew Bolton. The exhibition itself opens to the public on Thursday, May 10, making tonight’s gala something of a sneak peek at the fantastical papal and contemporary designer garments on view. With the red carpet over, follow along for the rest of the night on Vogue’s social channels.
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9:49 p.m.: With the red carpet over, find updates for the rest of the night on Vogue’s social channels.
9:06 p.m.: Kylie Jenner arrives with her boyfriend, Travis Scott, wearing a simple strapless gown with a solar plexus cut-out and mirrored Matrix-esque sunglasses. Scott accessorized his all-black ensemble with a leather harness over his shirt.
9:03 p.m.: Issa Rae once told Vogue she prefers to stay in, but she clearly made an exception for the Met Gala. Tonight, she attends the event for the first time with Michael Kors, and wears a black and gold embellished gown by the designer.
9:00 p.m.: Sarah Paulson, who stars in the Met Gala–set Ocean’s 8 movie with Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, and Anne Hathaway, is a Prada regular. Tonight, she chose an ivory and silver embellished gown with a tulle bow in the back.
8:55 p.m.: Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke wears a black lace gown by Dolce & Gabbana with intricate gold embroidery and cherub motifs. Her signature pale blonde hair is swept back with a gilded crown.
8:51 p.m.: Blake Lively chooses a richly embellished burgundy dress with an embroidered skirt for her walk up the red carpet.
8:47 p.m.: Actor Darren Criss wears a mosaic-style jacket from Dolce & Gabbana, and finishes off his look with cross-embellished slippers.
8:42 p.m.: Emily Ratajkowski teased a pixie cut on Instagram this morning, but she just walked the red carpet with her tresses intact. She’s wearing a glossy gold Marc Jacobs gown with long sleeves and a super-high slit.
8:41 p.m.: Kim Kardashian West appears to have opted for vintage again, choosing a chain mail dress by Gianni Versace adorned with cross embellishments. Last year, she wore archive Vivienne Westwood.
8:40 p.m.: Everyone’s been waiting to see what Cardi B wears tonight. She just arrived with Jeremy Scott, who designed her pearl gown and headpiece, as the crowd chants, “Cardi!”
8:37 p.m.: In sharp tailored looks, Cassie and Sean Combs show how attractive opposites can be.
8:36 p.m.: Cara Delevingne is attending the Met Gala for the seventh time tonight. She’s wearing a racy fishnet Dior gown, but the real fashion moment is happening above the neck: She’s sporting pink hair, yellow eyeshadow, and a veiled headpiece with crystals dangling in front of her face.
8:36 p.m.: Zendaya is giving us modern-day Joan of Arc vibes in a silver chain mail Versace gown with armor-like detailing. She’s also showing off a new hair look: a blunt reddish-brown bob.
8:31 p.m.: Selena Gomez arrived with Coach creative director Stuart Vevers, who designed her tiered, subtly embellished gown. She’s collaborated with Vevers on a capsule of Coach handbags in the past and is working on her first ready-to-wear collection for the label, so this could be a hint of what to expect.
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8:28 p.m.: Nicki Minaj accessorized her red ombré Oscar de la Renta gown and cape with a headpiece of jet crystals and tiny red crosses.
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8:27 p.m.: Salma Hayek Pinault’s Altuzarra dress is completely embroidered, depicting a landscape scene of a lakeside with birds, reeds, and a clear blue sky.
8:26 p.m.: Madonna takes a Gothic turn on the red carpet in an all-black, full-skirted look that includes a cross top, a black rose, and heavy veiling kept in place with a crown. It’s a far cry from the coquettish bunny-eared Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs look she wore to the Met Gala in 2009.
8:26 p.m.: Yara Shahidi and her mother are making their way up the red carpet in coordinating Chanel ensembles. This is Shahidi’s first Met Gala.
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8:25 p.m.: After posting a Twitter poll about what to wear to the Met Gala, Solange Knowles decided on a black couture dress by Iris van Herpen.
8:20 p.m.: Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen are known for their modest, often vintage red carpet looks. Their designs for The Row—including the gown Greta Gerwig is wearing tonight—have been described as “monastic,” too. Tonight, Mary-Kate is wearing a black The Row dress with a vintage embellished Paco Rabanne tunic, and Ashley is in a vintage Paco Rabanne patchworked silk gown with a major necklace and jeweled headband.
8:11 p.m.: Ruth Negga is in a black-and-white Louis Vuitton dress that adds chic to a simple chorister silhouette.
8:18 p.m.: Actress Anya Taylor-Joy has arrived in a dramatic golden gown and headpiece. The young star is becoming known for her work in thrillers—look for her in next year’s M. Night Shyamalan film, Glass.
8:17 p.m.: Stella Maxwell in the mother of all column dresses—one encrusted with images of the Madonna, in other words.
8:16 p.m.: Jennifer Connelly has attended almost every one of her Met Galas in a design by Nicolas Ghesquière. This year, she’s chosen a black-and-white column dress by the Louis Vuitton designer.
8:15 p.m.: Janelle Monáe arrived on the arms of Marc Jacobs and his fiancé, Charly DeFrancesco, wearing a black-and-white dress and jacket cut in the oversize ’80s-ish proportions of Jacobs’s Fall 2018 show. She completed the look with a wide-brim hat and a jeweled headpiece.
8:11 p.m.: The Dernaissance continues with Laura Dern’s red carpet appearance in monastic Proenza Schouler.
8:10 p.m.: Jennifer Lopez just stepped onto the red carpet in a feathered and embellished Balmain gown with a large cross in the center evocative of stained glass.
8:07 p.m.: Kendall Jenner’s ivory Off-White jumpsuit is a complete reversal from her revealing dress from last year’s gala. Maybe she’s channeling her big sister Kim Kardashian West’s understated glamour from last year’s gala?
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8:06 pm.: Stella McCartney is walking the red carpet with Miley Cyrus and Paris Jackson, both wearing her sustainably designed dresses.
8:05 p.m.: In addition to Alicia Vikander, Jennifer Connelly, and Emma Stone, Louis Vuitton face Michelle Williams is also wearing a gown by Nicolas Ghesquière. Hers is a narrow short-sleeved style covered in silver sequins with studded leather detailing.
8:05 p.m.: Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady are certainly on their game tonight. She’s wearing a one-sleeved, scarf-necked jersey number slit up the leg, and he opted for a black turtleneck under a black jacket with gold scrollwork on the lapels.
8:03 p.m.: Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman is in one of the night’s more avant-garde looks: an ivory cape with gold beaded crosses and a matching embellished suit.
8:00 p.m.: Priyanka Chopra is channeling the mosaics of the Byzantine era with her gilded headpiece and velvet gown.
7:59 p.m.: As a face of Louis Vuitton, Alicia Vikander has worn a host of looks by Nicolas Ghesquière on the red carpet. Tonight, she’s in a custom column with an ivory capelet detail and opera-length leather gloves.
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7:58 p.m.: Tiffany Haddish and Karlie Kloss arrived hand in hand wearing coordinated black-and-white Brandon Maxwell ensembles. This is Haddish’s first Met Gala, and if her predilection for telling salacious stories about A-list parties proves true, she’ll have the best gossip tomorrow morning.
7:56 p.m.: New mom #goals: To look as radiant as Tabitha Simmons, Dolce & Gabbana’s longtime stylist, who wears a glistening cape-coat from the designing duo over a pink dress.
7:53 p.m.: Gigi Hadid looks positively ethereal in a beaded dress that evokes the look of a translucent butterfly wing.
7:53 p.m.: Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, Lana Del Rey, and Jared Leto arrived together in a trio of looks by the designer. Leto’s ensemble includes a gold embroidered stole similar to a priest’s vestment, and the songstress accessorized her gown with a giant feathered halo. The dress also boasts daggers piercing a heart over her chest.
7:51 p.m.: Evan Rachel Wood continues her Altuzarra streak in a custom embellished feather dress worn over wide-leg black trousers.
7:50 p.m.: Sarah Jessica Parker is known for her outrageous Met Gala looks. Tonight, she’s wearing a gold brocade gown with shimmering red hearts by Dolce & Gabbana, plus a matching miter.
7:45 p.m.: Rooney Mara typically wears black or shades of blush on the red carpet, but this year she chose a grayish-blue jacquard gown from Clare Waight Keller’s Spring 2018 Couture collection for Givenchy.
7:44 p.m.: Gabrielle Union is having an Angelina Jolie leg moment in a sunshine yellow gown.
7:43 p.m.: Claire Danes has opted for a sleek, simple, and vibrant color-blocked gown in bright pink and orange.
7:40 p.m.: Petite songbird Ariana Grande makes a big statement in strapless Vera Wang. Not to mention, she brings art to the Met: The print on her dress is Michelangelo’s Last Judgment.
7:39 p.m.: Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan has accessorized his Off-White by Virgil Abloh suit with a silver cross brooch.
7:38 p.m.: Katy Perry’s interpretation of tonight’s theme is appropriately next-level: a gold Versace chain mail minidress, thigh-high boots, and giant feathered angel wings, which reportedly span six feet.
7:35 p.m.: Amber Heard wears a vivid red Carolina Herrera number designed by Wes Gordon. In Catholicism, red is symbolic of both the passion of the Christ and deep love. This trained gown highlights dualities; monastic in front, it is revealing in back, with a bustle and train.
7:33 p.m.: Tracee Ellis Ross’s daring style is on display in a shocking pink gown and coat by Michael Kors.
7:32 p.m.: Frances McDormand is blowing us away in a turquoise Valentino look from Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Spring 2018 Couture show—massive floral headpiece included.
7:31 p.m.: Fresh off his hosting duties on Saturday Night Live (not to mention the most talked-about music video in recent memory, “This Is America”), Donald Glover is posing on the red carpet in a taupe Gucci tuxedo with a ruffled shirt.
7:30 p.m.: Kerry Washington is making a subtle statement tonight in a long-sleeved, body-skimming bronze gown by Ralph Lauren.
7:27 p.m.: Anne Hathaway is no stranger to the Met Gala, both IRL and on-screen as the star of Ocean’s 8. She’s well acquainted with fantastical Valentino dresses, too. For her 2012 wedding, Hathaway wore a custom Valentino Garavani gown. Tonight, she’s in a signature Valentino-red ensemble designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli.
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7:25 p.m.: Alexa Chung designed her own dress this year, a white puff-sleeved mini with pearl embellishments.
7:20 p.m.: Eco-Age founder Livia Firth is on the carpet in an austere ivory column dress with her husband, actor Colin Firth. Livia’s accessorized with emerald jewelry and a golden clutch.
7:20 p.m.: Former Victoria’s Secret Angel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looks suitably angelic in a delicate halo headpiece and a gold embellished gown by Ralph Lauren.
7:19 p.m.: Exercising elegance and restraint is Kristin Scott Thomas in a pearl-gray embroidered dress by Erdem designer Erdem Moralioglu.
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7:17 p.m.: Writer and actor Lena Waithe is making a statement in her rainbow cape, symbolizing gay pride on the Met Gala red carpet.
7:16 p.m.: Uma Thurman wears a Gabriela Hearst dress hand-stitched with more than 2,400 sweet water pearls.
7:15 p.m.: Diane Kruger wears an aquamarine embellished minidress with a major train by Prabal Gurung and a jeweled Philip Treacy net veil.
7:07 p.m.: Trust Rihanna to make a statement on the Met Gala red carpet. As cochair of this year’s event, expectations were particularly high. She just arrived in a pearl- and crystal-embellished Maison Margiela Artisanal gown by John Galliano, complete with a matching papal miter and necklace. It bears a striking resemblance to a Dior haute couture look Galliano made for Fall 2000 included in the “Heavenly Bodies” exhibition.
7:06 p.m.: Zoë Kravitz chose a barely there black dress with a large cut-out on the side. It pays homage to a side-tying couture number Yves Saint Laurent designed in 1990 (and Irving Penn photographed on Christy Turlington for Vogue).
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7:05 p.m.: SZA might be supporting Kendrick Lamar on tour this summer, but tonight, she is queen of all she surveys in an angelic dress made of countless layers of lilac tulle, topped, of course, with a crown-like halo.
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7:05 p.m.: Gisele Bündchen is wearing a pale gold gown custom-made for her by Versace. She requested an “eco” dress, so this was made using 100 percent organic silk and environmentally friendly dyes.
7:04 p.m.: Ashley Graham is making her way up the red carpet in a copper sequin dress by Prabal Gurung with a high slit and dramatic train.
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7:00 p.m.: Mindy Kaling, a star of Ocean’s 8, is channeling a queen in a silvery gown and gilded crown.
6:59 p.m.: Kate Moss is back at the Met Gala for the first time in years. She’s a guest of Saint Laurent designer Anthony Vaccarello, and is wearing a feathered minidress of his design.
6:53 p.m.: Model Jamie Bochert slays in a Saint Laurent LBD by Anthony Vaccarello (note the ’40s-style sleeves that nod to the house founder’s shocking 1971 collection).
6:52 p.m.: Doutzen Kroes is walking the red carpet in an ombré crimson, violet, and ivory dress from the Sies Marjan label, accompanied by the designer, Sander Lak.
6:50 p.m.: Kate Bosworth is wearing a wedding-worthy gilded tulle gown and veil by Oscar de la Renta designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia.
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6:52 p.m.: Lily Aldridge is wearing the second marigold gown of the night (after Amanda Seyfried); Aldridge’s is a shirtdress style by Ralph Lauren. Expect to see more of the radiant color on the red carpet.
6:51 p.m.: Greta Gerwig conjures the contemplative, monastic aspects of Catholicism in an understated black-and-white dress by The Row.
6.39 p.m.: Migos has arrived in—what else?—Versace. The trio coordinated their bejeweled jackets with simple black trousers.
6:36 p.m.: Headpieces are a major trend tonight. Lily Collins accessorized her Givenchy gown from Clare Waight Keller’s Spring 2018 Couture collection with a silver halo that nods to religious art.
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6:33 p.m.: In latex, leather, and long black gloves, Bella Hadid is making a Goth statement on the Met Gala red carpet tonight. Her look is designed by Chrome Hearts, the Los Angeles–based label owned by the parents of Hadid’s best friend, Jesse Jo Stark. Last year, Hadid collaborated with the brand on a range of accessories.
6:31 p.m.: Huma Abedin opted for a one-sleeved yellow floral gown by Giambattista Valli with major chandelier earrings.
6:29 p.m.: Amanda Seyfried looks like a modern goddess in a marigold draped gown by Prada and matching golden tiara.
6:26 p.m.: Making a break with the strapless columns she often favors, event cochair Donatella Versace peacocked down the red carpet in an embellished minidress with a moiré overskirt fastened with a heart charm belt. Her platform boots match the feather-like pattern on the dress. This is power dressing done well.
6:20 p.m.: Riverdale star—and newly minted Vogue model—Cole Sprouse is here in an understated black suit with his costar Lili Reinhart.
6:15 p.m.: Rita Ora is making a major statement on the red carpet in a black embellished gown by Prada with a radiant headpiece. Just as conspicuous: her teensy, tiny yellow purse.
6:13 p.m.: Model and actor Luka Sabbat never disappoints on the red carpet. Tonight, he’s wearing a glittering embellished robe coat by H&M.
6:11 p.m.: Jasmine Sanders, attending her first Met Gala, lives up to her Instagram handle, @golden_barbie, in a custom strapless lamé dress by H&M that looks like molten metal. Her Rapunzel-length braid is studded with red roses.
6:05 p.m.: For her first Met Gala, dancer Mette Towley is wearing a black and gold embroidered gown by Dundas with major jewelry.
6:01 p.m.: Olivia Munn stepped onto the red carpet in a shimmering gold chain mail dress by H&M with a coordinating golden net headpiece. An homage to Versace’s iconic chain mail, perhaps?
5:59 p.m: Exhibition cosponsors Stephen and Christine Schwarzman will join Anna Wintour, Andrew Bolton, Rihanna, and Amal Clooney on the receiving line. Christine accessorized her draped, azure-blue off-the-shoulder gown with a gem-encrusted cross.
5:58 p.m.: Get Out and Black Panther star Daniel Kaluuya has arrived. This is the first time that the Oscar-nominated actor has attended the Met Gala.
5:51 p.m.: Vogue Editor in Chief and Condé Nast Artistic Director Anna Wintour has arrived wearing custom Chanel with her daughter, Bee Shaffer, who is dressed in a scalloped Valentino haute couture gown by Pierpaolo Piccioli. Several Valentino gowns are included in the “Heavenly Bodies” exhibition, at both the Met Fifth Avenue location and The Met Cloisters venue.
5:50 p.m.: Met Gala cohost Amal Clooney has arrived wearing a dramatic Richard Quinn ensemble, featuring a corseted floral bodice and train over black trousers. Quinn is a young British designer who was awarded the first Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design by Her Majesty herself. Amal is joined by her husband, George Clooney.
5:45 p.m.: Model Laura Love is among the earliest guests to arrive in a Versace look adorned with crosses from Donatella Versace’s Spring 2018 tribute collection to her late brother, Gianni.
5:40 p.m.: YouTube star Liza Koshy will be interviewing celebrities on the red carpet for Vogue.com. Stay tuned for her video coverage on our site later this evening.
5:00 p.m.: Curious about tonight’s event? Let André Leon Talley, a longtime guest of the Met Gala, explain what actually happens inside.
4:48 p.m.: Before she steps onto the red carpet tonight, cohost Amal Clooney spent a night out in New York with her husband, George Clooney.
4:45p.m.: Get a first look at the Met’s “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” exhibition and hear curator Andrew Bolton’s goals for the record-breaking show here.
4:30 p.m.: The annual pre-Met party is a Vogue tradition. This year, we took over the iconic Little Italy restaurant Forlini’s to celebrate with some spaghetti. See all the photos here.
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