Zendaya and Kim Kardashian stun on Met Gala red carpet

Summary

Met Gala guests put on a show on the red carpet for fashion's biggest night of the year
The charity event is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and draws A-list celebrities and the who's who of the fashion world
Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth and Bad Bunny joined Vogue’s Anna Wintour as hosts
Guests included Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Dua Lipa, Serena Williams, Jeff Goldblum and Doja Cat
The 2024 theme is The Garden of Time - a short story about a Count and Countess who pluck time-reversing flowers
The event raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and tickets are rumoured to cost upwards of $70,000 (£56,000)

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay

The last arrival wins the nightpublished at 00:17 British Summer Time 7 May
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
Red carpets typically accompany award shows where it’s a race to be first.
But as the Met Gala eclipses the Oscars as the fashion event of the year, it’s almost as if it's a competition to be last on the Met steps - an indicator of a celebrity’s place in the upper echelons of culture.
Beyonce, Blake Lively, Zendaya - who this year arrived early to attend to her co-chairing duties - and Rihanna are usually some of the last to arrive, and they’re always worth the wait.
Last year, Rihanna held up the carpet until 10pm, which is indicative of her attitude when it comes to everything except fashion.
We’re holding our breath to see what she shows up in tonight - fashionably late, of course.
What's happening inside? Jeff Goldblum offers some hintspublished at 00:15 British Summer Time 7 May
Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the red carpet
When asked what happens behind the exclusive Met Gala doors, Jeff Goldblum smirks before he says: “A lot of elbow rubbing and gallivanting around”.
Doja Cat's towel dress may this year's most unusual lookpublished at 00:10 British Summer Time 7 May
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
Image source, Getty Images
I’m struggling to see the connection to the Garden of Time theme in Doja Cat’s towel ensemble—maybe she was running late?
The never-ending stream of stars continuespublished at 00:07 British Summer Time 7 May
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Jessica Biel
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Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes
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Jeff Goldblum
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Jack Harlow
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Riley Keough
What’s the Met Gala like behind closed doors?published at 00:06 British Summer Time 7 May
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An interior view during The 2023 Met Gala
It’s invitation-only (Anna Wintour vets the guest list) and costs at least $70,000 a ticket, so most of us mere mortals will never know what really happens inside the Met Gala.
Once guests have finished on the red carpet and walked up the famous Met staircase, there’s no reporters and a no phone policy - although celebrities don’t seem to mind breaking the rules for a bathroom selfie.
We do know there’s an exhibit, musical performances and an elaborate dinner with about 600 attendees seated at carefully planned tables that tend to be organised around the big fashion houses.
And the atmosphere inside? Well, that’s ultra-secretive.
But we do have a (perhaps slightly skewed for comedy) perspective from Tina Fey.
The 30 Rock star told David Lettermen in 2015 that her one and only Met Gala was a “jerk parade” and added “if you had a million arms and all the people you would punch in the whole world, they’re all there”.
Pro-Palestinian protesters outside the Met Galapublished at 00:01 British Summer Time 7 May
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Images and videos outside the Met Gala show a couple of hundred people protesting the ongoing war in Gaza.
Some of the pro-Palestinian protesters appear to have been arrested, video shows, but the NYPD did not immediately respond to BBC's request for comment.
Tonight's protest comes after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the US.
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WATCH: Security has to lift Tyla up the stairspublished at 23:55 British Summer Time 6 May
Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the red carpet
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Tyla gets carried up the Met red carpet steps
Tyla's sand-themed ensemble required some extra legwork from the Met's security team.
The dress is coated and dusted in a material that easily falls off, I was told.
A crew of security had to lift her from step to step to keep it in tact, at least until she's inside.
"It's amazing, I'm getting lifted," she says as she is carried past me on the staircase.
Rita and Taika with very different approaches to Met Gala themepublished at 23:53 British Summer Time 6 May
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
Image source, Getty Images
Rita Ora said “oh, you thought that was a naked dress…”
The singer and wife of director Taika Waititi, who accompanied her, donned a sheer body stocking underneath some sort of sparkling streamers.
Her husband went the opposite route, in head--to toe leather.
In contrast to Rita, Taika must be sweating up a storm in New York’s signature humidity, which is at 77% today.
Gigi Hadid arrives with a rose dress and five sets of helping handspublished at 23:48 British Summer Time 6 May
Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the red carpet
Image source, Getty Images
Gigi Hadid hits the carpet, requiring the attendance of five Met gala staff to help her up each step.
“Gigi, Gigi,” her name echoes up the steps, from reporters competing for her attention.
“What’s it like having five people carry you up the stairs,” someone asks.
“I’m honoured,” she replies.
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An outfit literally made of woodpublished at 23:46 British Summer Time 6 May
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
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Taylor Russell with her wooden bodice
“I’ve always wanted to be a tree,” Taylor Russell tells the red carpet cameras.
And Russell’s wish came true in a wooden bodice and hair accessories by Loewe.
And if you thought that was uncomfortable, Greta Lee, also in Loewe, carries on the white sculptural neckline silhouette that emerged at the Oscars and its afterparties.
I guess she didn’t want to eat, that seems to be quite a barrier for cutlery.
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Greta Lee
Ayo, SJP and morepublished at 23:38 British Summer Time 6 May
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Ayo Edebiri
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Madelyn Cline
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Donald Glover
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Sarah Jessica Parker
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Alexi Ashe and Seth Meyers
Accessories fit the themepublished at 23:35 British Summer Time 6 May
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
While the gowns get all the love, accessories have also been a touchpoint for the Garden of Time theme, with Australian basketballer Ben Simmons carrying a clock bag to accompany his Thom Browne suit and coat.
“Water” singer Tyla changes tides and goes for a sand-covered Balmain gown with an hourglass to boot.
And a reminder, the theme is The Garden of Time - which is a short story about a Count and Countess who pluck time-reversing flowers.
Image source, Getty Images
Time - and fabric - swirls around Mindy Kalingpublished at 23:28 British Summer Time 6 May
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
Image source, Getty Images
Mindy Kaling understood the assignment.
Her sculptural beige gown is by Indian designer Guarav Gupta and is called The Melting Flower of Time.
No notes.
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Like sands through the hourglass...published at 23:24 British Summer Time 6 May
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Singer Tyla has arrived in a stunning gown, complete with an hour glass as an accessory.
The red carpet is packed with starspublished at 23:12 British Summer Time 6 May
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Sienna Miller, Chemena Kamali, Greta Gerwig, Emma Mackey and Zoe Saldana
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Lea Michele
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Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin
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Colman Domingo
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Mindy Kaling
Tickets reportedly cost $75,000published at 23:10 British Summer Time 6 May
In theory, the Met Gala is held to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
And with ticket prices reportedly $75,000 (£60,000) this year, organisers could raise quite a lot of money. Tables are rumoured to cost more than $350,000 (£278,000).
But for the rest of us, it’s a chance to see Hollywood A-listers wearing ridiculously flamboyant clothes.
It is now arguably the biggest event in the fashion calendar, and it is one of the most reliable places to spot genuine A-listers.
'Showstopper': Crowd erupts as Zendaya arrivespublished at 23:04 British Summer Time 6 May
Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the red carpet
Zendaya is in the house.
She, along with Jennifer Lopez, is another one of tonight’s hosts.
In the background, people are saying: "Showstopper”.
“Unreal.”
“Flawless.”
This is the moment many red-carpet watchers were waiting for.
And I managed to get this quick pic of her on my phone, staring right towards me with a grin.
This dress took 8,500 hours to makepublished at 23:00 British Summer Time 6 May
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
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Rebecca Ferguson reveals raven silhouettes under cape
Trust Thom Browne - partner of Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton - to stun the red carpet again this year, with echoes of last year’s monochromatic tweed look for Rebecca Ferguson’s unfolding black gown that opens up into a train flocked with ravens.
Tippy Hedren, eat your heart out.
According to Vogue: “30 people were involved in the making of the look, and it took 8,500 hours to make with 60,000 crystals and 7,000 folded petal raffia and raw raffia frayed ravens”.
The final co-host has arrived: Zendayapublished at 22:55 British Summer Time 6 May
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
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Co-chair and red carpet queen Zendaya has made her much anticipated return to the Met Gala in a blue and green ensemble with hummingbirds gracing her decolletage and a gravity-defying fascinator to boot.
Not my favorite look from her, but at least it’s unexpected.
It's a bit like if Carrie Bradshaw’s wedding was goth.
Jenny from the block is herepublished at 22:48 British Summer Time 6 May
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Co-chair Jennifer Lopez is wearing a custom Schiaparelli, a sparkly take on the naked dress.
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