NEW YORK – Alysa Liu found herself amidst the dazzling spectacle of the Met Gala, a sea of glamorous attendees indulging in cocktails and lively conversations. As she took it all in, the Olympic skater paused momentarily, contemplating the right word to sum up her experience.
“It’s … BIG,” she finally declared with a gleaming smile.
Liu, wrapped in an exquisite blood-red Louis Vuitton gown adorned with a voluminous skirt and striking ruffles, seemed to be the center of attention. Despite the presence of numerous high-profile celebrities, it was Liu who attracted a remarkable amount of greetings and admiration.
While many Met Gala attendees have long basked in the spotlight, others, like Liu, have experienced a rapid rise to fame. Her journey to this glamorous evening was catapulted by a gold-medal performance that captured hearts globally.
“Everybody recognizes me!” she exclaimed in genuine astonishment amid the bustling crowd at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Charles Engelhard Court. “It’s crazy. Imagine that overnight, suddenly everyone knows who you are!”
Soon after, the nation’s beloved skating sensation was seen mingling with Connor Storrie from “Heated Rivalry,” another prominent figure of the evening who also shares a background on the ice. Laughter and camaraderie flowed as the night unfolded.
Some more scenes from inside the Met Gala:
Under a full moon, the strains of harp music
After guests made their way up the carpeted steps to the museum, they entered into the Great Hall, which had been transformed into “a Northern Italian garden,” in the museum’s words. There was a huge moon hanging and swaying from the ceiling, and below it a floral centerpiece surrounded by cypress branches.
A half dozen harpists serenaded the guests, who waited to shake the hands of the gala co-chairs — Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, and honorary chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos — but not, for now, the late-arriving Beyoncé.
The receiving line was a long wait, reported Sarah Paulson.
“I waited 45 minutes,” the actor said, explaining why she hadn’t made it yet to the Conde M. Nast Galleries to see the fashion exhibit, “Costume Art,” which examines the dressed body through centuries of art history. Her feet hurt. “You could cut my legs off at the ankle,” she said.
Lobster crostini and tomato-mozzarella pillows
As the Engelhard court gradually filled, guests milled about snacking on lobster crostini or tomato and mozzarella “pillows.”
Zoë Kravitz, who headed the host committee, greeted Storrie — did we mention he was a top attraction? — and complimented him on his work. Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid sat quietly chatting on the sidelines, hand in hand.
Near them, Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster did the same. Jackman stood up when skier Lindsey Vonn came by, giving her a hug. Vonn, who suffered a traumatic leg injury at the Winter Olympics, used only a cane and sparkled in a Thom Browne gown.
Billionaires, he’s seen ‘em before
Ever since Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos had been announced as honorary chairs, there had been anti-billionaire backlash in liberal New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would not come. A group called Everyone Hates Elon — a reference to Musk — had plastered posters at bus stops, like one on the East Side saying “Dress code: Willful ignorance,” and on subways.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, though, had a different take. He’d attended a few Met Galas, and said billionaires were nothing new.
“There have always been billionaires here,” Sharpton said. “I may not agree with everything Bezos does, but do I abandon Beyoncé and Venus Williams?” He also praised Wintour for paying attention to diversity. “I opted to come.”
He said the gala “brings a cultured meeting space” for people who haven’t yet met.
A date night for Jon Batiste
At previous galas, Jon Batiste has performed, sometimes leading a musical band with his melodica to get crowds to head to dinner. This time around, he had no gala responsibilities — and he was happy.
After all, he said, “it’s date night” with his wife, Suleika Jaouad. “A night in the museum,” he quipped. The couple were dinner guests of Wintour herself.
Batiste wore a look by Eli Russell Linnetz that he said echoed the work of late Black portraitist Barkley L. Hendricks — a long white coat and white ensemble underneath. Hendricks often juxtaposed Black skin with white clothes, Batiste noted. Jaouad wore a sumptuous Christian Siriano gown.
Progress in the fight for diversity
Sinéad Burke, the Irish disability activist, said that when she was first approached to be on the host committee, “I said no.”
Unless, she says she told organizers, they made the gala fully accessible.
They did, Burke says, arranging for a step-free entrance for guests who need it, south of the main entrance.
Burke ended up working closely with the museum for 18 months before the gala. She made sure there was room for disabled press to cover the gala carpet. She and her organization, Tilting the Lens, also helped train guides who will assist the public when they view “Costume Art,” which has a large section on the disabled body.
And Burke herself, who was born with dwarfism, agreed to pose for a custom mannequin; two outfits are displayed on mannequins created in her image.
“I’m proud of the small moments,” she said.
But a step backward, elsewhere
Model Lauren Wasser, also on the host committee, attended in a custom Prabal Gurung ensemble all in gold, including her trademark gold prosthetic legs.
She said she was glad the museum was shining a light on diversity in body types. But she cautioned that in the outside world, things are looking bleaker. (Research has found that designers are starting to turn away from using plus-size models, for example.)
“I want to see it in real life, too,” Wasser said of such diversity. “We had a moment. But we’ve taken a step back.”
Wearing silver, feeling golden
The songwriter who won an Oscar for “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” was wearing, well, silver. But she said she was feeling golden.
In fact, EJAE, part of the team that won best original song for the impossibly catchy tune, said she was trying to channel a specific lyric with her gown, a Swarovski number dripping with crystals.
“I’m done hidin’, now I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be,” the song goes.
“I wanted to literally be shining,” EJAE said. Mission accomplished.
Sarah Paulson has the Met’s secrets — remember?
This wasn’t the first rodeo for Paulson. In fact in was her sixth Met Gala, she said.
But Paulson has more after-hours experience at the Met. She shot the movie “Ocean’s 8” there, a film about a heist during … the Met Gala.
“I spent a lot of time here — I know the secrets,” Paulson said. “They should watch out!”
Asked if six Met Galas got a little tiresome, Paulson said they did not.
“You can’t really believe the people here and the oxygen you’re sharing,” the actor said. “People from all the great talents of the world.”
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are Heidi Klum fans
Dinner was under way. Beyoncé had arrived, with Jay-Z and Blue Ivy.
But the assembled media on the carpet and various staffers in the museum lobby weren’t breaking for the night. There was one more big arrival to come. Yes, Rihanna.
When she and partner A$AP Rocky arrived in the Great Hall, they stopped for photos quickly and then headed toward the Temple of Dendur for dinner. But then they ran into Heidi Klum, who knows her way around a costume, virtually unrecognizable as a marble statue.
The couple spent 10 minutes or so laughing with Klum and complimenting her.
“This is the coolest outfit tonight, ain’t gonna lie,” A$AP Rocky noted.
“Oh my god, I can’t stand you!” Rihanna said admiringly.
“How much did they pay you to just stand here for the rest of the night?” the singer asked the statue. They all laughed.
