Highlights from the 2025 Met Gala

Bollywood was well represented at this year’s Met Gala, with several superstars making their debut:

• Kiara Advani, in Gaurav Gupta
• Diljit Dosanjh, in Prabal Gurung
• Shah Rukh Khan, in Sabyasachi

Returning celebrities included:

• Isha Ambani, in Anamika Khanna (While not strictly a Bollywood celebrity, there’s certainly enough crossover with the Indian businesswoman’s cultural influence)
• Priyanka Chopra Jonas, in Olivier Rousteing
• Natasha Poonawalla, in Manish Malhotra

Rihanna showed off her newly announced baby bump in a cropped suit top, pinstriped long skirt with a jacket tied to the back and a polka dot tie. She wore a deconstructed hat to accessorize her suited look from Marc Jacobs.

After waiting until 10 p.m. for her arrival, the remaining members of the press scurried out.

This is not a drill: Rihanna has finally arrived. And it’s only 10 p.m.

Her arrival was greeted with many cheers from the press who stuck around for it.

Fresh off a strong third week at the box office for “Sinners,” writer-director Ryan Coogler said it’s been “amazing” to see the audience response to his genre-blending horror film.

“We made the film with the audience in mind. But you never know if it’s going to connect or not,” Coogler said. “It’s been incredible to see that it has connected for folks and to hear about people going multiple times, it just warms my heart. We made the film that intention to be enjoyed like that.”

She’s coming, folks. Rihanna has left the Carlyle hotel and is en route to the Met Gala.

It’s 9:38 p.m. and Mindy Kaling has just left the Met Gala — but Rihanna has yet to arrive. Some members of the press are also calling it a night.

The carpet is soaked at the top of the steps. Guests are kicking up water as they walk

The Kardashian Krew was less robust this year — no Kourtney, Khloe or Kris — than last, but they must be kounted nonetheless.

• Kendall Jenner was the most prompt, sporting a floor length grey skirt suit by Torishéju.
• Kim Kardashian, who snuck in after the Vogue livestream was cut, wore a body hugging black leather dress by Chrome Hearts.
• Kylie Jenner also slinked in later wearing custom Ferragamo, but no Chalamet. (Timothée, according to his Instagram stories, appears to be watching the Knicks-Celtics NBA playoff game.)

The New York Liberty, reigning WNBA champions, are trading the court for the carpet. Several players along with their head coach Sandy Brondello hit the Met Gala tonight, bringing WNBA star power straight to fashion’s biggest stage.

Stylist Courtney Mays was involved in their look, and sees her work with WNBA players and their “tunnel fits” as a perfect way to showcase her passion for championing diversity and inclusion.

The Liberty’s Breanna Stewart told The Associated Press of Mays: “What she does best is she makes it so that I feel my best in the clothes that I’m wearing. And really, that’s the biggest thing behind it. Because when you see all these tunnel fits and people walking, you want them to portray who they are and feel their best.”

Lauryn Hill was on theme for the gala and the weather. Hill arrived in a whimsically constructed yellow cape and suit paired with a yellow umbrella.

The singer is famously late to her concerts, but arrived before 9:30 — early relative to Rihanna, whom the press still awaits.

Colin Kaepernick made a rare public appearance at the Met Gala, bringing his signature activism and bold style to fashion’s biggest night.

The 37-year-old former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has been training in hopes of making a return to the NFL while taking on other endeavors including launching Lumi, an AI-driven storytelling platform designed to democratize content creation. He’s also been an advocate for youth empowerment through his children’s book “We are Free.”

He attended the Met Gala in 2019, too.

The late Vogue editor André Leon Talley died in 2022, but his presence was very much felt across a gala that paid tribute to Black style and menswear.

• Colman Domingo’s bright blue Valentino seemed to pay homage to Talley’s passion for dramatic capes, and possibly even the look that Talley wore in 2011.
• Tessa Thompson wore a fan accessory with the late famed Vogue editor pictured on the front.
• Anne Hathaway said she dressed specifically for him: “We wanted André Leon Talley to look down from heaven and scream ‘GLAMOUR,’” Hathaway said on the Vogue livestream.
• The Rev. Al Sharpton said that people like Talley fought to have a night like this. “I know André Leon Talley is looking down on us, smiling,” Sharpton said. “That’s why I had to be here. And I had to be as dandy as I could.”
• Doechii, who is on the host committee, recreated a Talley photograph (of him joyfully exiting a hotel with a tennis racket and Louis Vuitton luggage) which she shared on Instagram in the lead up to the event.
• Paloma Elsesser wore a leather jacket with Talley’s face on the back on her way to get ready for the event.
• Anna Wintour wrote in Vogue that Talley’s work and style influenced the theme. “André was a dandy among dandies and he radiated joy,” Wintour wrote. “I’ll be thinking of him on the night of the Met Gala, an evening made for him — and one I can scarcely believe he will miss.”

Janelle Monáe showed up with her Black dandy vibes: The Grammy-nominated performer strutted the blue carpet in a black, red and white pinstriped suit tailored to her frame with sharp, pointy shoulders, topped with a pinstriped black top hat and a small black-and-gold clock over her left eye.

Monáe said she collaborated with Oscar winner Paul Tazewell and designer Thom Browne. She also wore the 1800 Tequila diamond brooch tucked beneath her outer jacket, revealing it on her tie — a bold statement honoring her ancestors and dandy-dressing family members while celebrating a more conscious approach to fashion jewelry.

A rush of celebs arrived toward the end of the night with Nicki Minaj, Jenna Ortega and Charli xcx making their carpet appearance.

The carpet remains open, for those of you on Rihanna Watch.

As celebrities come in, they are asked to hand over their phones for a piece of tape to be put on the cameras.

Celebrity stylist Law Roach traded his signature long, sleek black hairstyle for a shorter, bleached hairdo.

It’s not the first time Roach has sported such a look. But on a night when many fashion enthusiasts were anticipating how he’d curate other attendees’ images, it was his own that turned some heads.

“The blond looks good,” Teyana Taylor said on the Vogue livestream.

Welcome back to our annual Rihanna Watch tradition. Each year, we ask “Is Rihanna coming to the Met Gala?” “Where’s Rihanna?” “OK, what time is this thing supposed to wrap up?” And each year it’s a surprise.

Two years ago, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky made a truly fashionably late arrival — well past 10 p.m., and 90 minutes after reporters were told to expect one last guest in 15 minutes.

Last year, we confirmed Rihanna would not be coming just before 9:30 p.m., as Vogue representatives were shuttering the carpet.

It’s only 9:08 p.m.! And Rihanna is on the guest list this year. Rocky, her partner who earlier in the evening confirmed they’re having a third child, is a co-chair of the event and walked long ago.

Kim Kardashian made her way up wearing a leather fitted Chrome Hearts gown.

Cardi B just arrived at top of steps in Burberry.

Where’s the flute?

André 3000 arrived with a piano strapped on his back. Call it brilliant marketing — also on Monday, the innovative musician released a 16-minute, 7-song piano EP aptly titled “7 piano sketches.”
It may mark a new era — and a new instrumental enthusiasm — for André 3000.

In 2023, André 3000 released his debut solo album, “New Blue Sun,” 18 years after his legendary rap group Outkast’s last studio album, “Idlewild.” Instead of bars, he dropped a six-track instrumental album of ambient alt-jazz — with special attention paid to the flute. It earned him a Grammy nomination and a new kind of outlook.

He’s always been an incredible experimenter, and here, once again, was proof.

Olivier Rousteing of Balmain — a member of the host committee — accessorized with a sewing machine on the carpet. The sewing accessory broke at the top of the steps. Rosalía, wearing Rousteing’s mannequin-like look, joked that the sewing machine did its job for the night.

Damson Idris is kicking off the “F1” campaign in style. The actor pulled up to the event in a race car from the film wearing a Tommy Hilfiger-designed racing suit and embellished helmet featuring 20,000 Swarovski crystals. Eventually, he took off the kit and helmet to reveal a tailored suit.

Idris wasn’t the only person repping the upcoming film (in theaters June 27), in which he stars alongside Brad Pitt as an up-and-coming racer in the glamourous world of Formula One. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who was involved in the film from the earliest days consulting, is a co-chair of the event.

When Brittney Griner became the first WNBA player to attend the Met Gala in 2023, just months after being released from a Russian prison in a high-profile prisoner swap, she looked effortlessly cool and chic in a custom-made Calvin Klein suit.

Behind the look was celebrity stylist Courtney Mays, who has dressed some of sports’ biggest stars for more than a decade. Putting together a glamorous gala look for any celebrity is a tall task, but, when working with the unique proportions of professional athletes — Griner is 6'9" — the job becomes much more complicated.

Couple that with working under the constraints put forth by Vogue editor Anna Wintour: The Met Gala chair provides a list of designers she envisions the guest in — then it’s up to the stylist to put together a look within those parameters.

▶ Read more for how Mays put together Griner’s look — and more on high fashion for athletes

Three-fourths of the mega popular K-pop girl group Blackpink arrived at the Met Gala — Rosé in Saint Laurent, Jennie in Chanel and Lisa in Louis Vuitton — but no Jisoo.

Ahead of the star-studded event, their loyal fans, known as Blinks, spotted Jennie and Rosé in and around New York. Lisa was photographed at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, where 2025 Met Gala co-host and driver Lewis Hamilton raced — and then earlier in the evening exiting the Mark Hotel. But where in the world is Jisoo?

A mysterious figure departed the Mark Hotel, shielded in a rolling box pushed by an entourage. The mystery remained until ... Doechii arrived at the Met.

Several cast members from the recently wrapped Season 3 of “The White Lotus” turned out on the blue carpet, including Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins, who played (spoilers) doomed lovers Chelsea and Rick, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Lisa.

Goggins and Lisa walked separately, but Wood and Schwarzenegger spoke to Vogue before walking the carpet together.

Madonna arrived in a light beige tuxedo, complete with long pants that were all wet at the bottom, thanks to the New York rain. She also had a cigar.

Sha’Carri Richardson arrived in a purple-and-yellow Valentino gown, declaring she’s living in her “soft, Black, rich” era.

For the Olympian, the event’s “Tailored for You” dress code was an invitation to show up unapologetically herself.

“All I felt was: Express yourself,” Richardson said on the carpet. “Be your unique self. Show exactly who you are through fashion — just like I do on the track. When I heard the theme, I was like ‘I’m just going to show up and flow.’”

Tessa Thompson paid homage to André Leon Talley with her fan accessory with the late famed Vogue editor pictured on the front. Anne Hathaway also invoked him earlier on the carpet, as the influential fashion journalist’s own dandy style infuses guests’ attire.

Around a quarter past 8 p.m., tubas, trombones, trumpets and drums sounded as the band snaked through cocktails: That’s the sign for guests to put down their drinks and head to dinner.

Many high-profile names were still yet to walk the carpet, though.

Shah Rukh Khan is a Bollywood megastar, with legions of fans the world over. At 59, with decades of fame under his belt, he’s finally making his Met Gala debut — in Sabyasachi.

Bollywood celebrities aren’t strangers to the Met Gala, but it’s rarer for a male actor to appear. In recent years, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and crossover star Priyanka Chopra Jonas have represented the Hindi film industry at the annual fundraiser.

“I’ve not done too many red carpets, I’m very shy,” Khan, toting a cane and necklace with a large K, told Vogue. He credited his attendance to Sabyasachi, and said he informed the designer he only wore black and white.

“Just to give you a little bit of context, Shah Rukh Khan is probably one of most famous men in the world,” the designer, who sported a literal feather in his cap, said. “And his fan following is legendary, and we nearly had a stampede outside of our hotel when he came out.”

Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts are both stepping onto tonight’s iconic steps, but the Philadelphia Eagles players and Super Bowl champions’ paths this past week couldn’t be more different: Barkley made the celebratory stop at the White House last Monday, while Hurts skipped it. Now they’re both suiting up for the ultimate style stage.

Here’s what — and, importantly, whom — the co-chairs wore:

• In true Colman Domingo fashion, the actor revealed two outfits. After beginning with a bejeweled royal blue robe by Valentino, Domingo changed into a checkered zoot suit.
• Formula One racing great Lewis Hamilton wore a cropped ivory suit jacket and beret from Wales Bonner.
• Pharrell Williams turned to Louis Vuitton — where he is the men’s creative director — for his double-breasted jacket consisting of 15,000 pearls.
• A$AP Rocky donned a custom suit designed by his creative agency, AWGE, complete with a black parka and diamond-crested umbrella.

“It feels amazing, you know,” gala co-chair A$AP Rocky told reporters who congratulated him after outlets reported the couple was expecting their third child. “It’s time that we show the people what we was cooking up. And I’m glad everybody’s happy for us ‘cause we definitely happy, you know.”

TMZ reported earlier today that Rihanna and the rapper were expecting their third child. A representative for Rihanna didn’t immediately return The Associated Press’ request for comment. Photos taken of the singer Monday walking in New York showed her with what appeared to be a baby bump.

Rihanna hasn’t yet walked the Met Gala carpet.

“Honestly, it’s a blessing nonetheless,” Rocky told the AP. “Because you know how like some people in other situations at times can be envious of other people. But we’ve been seeing love for the most part. And we real receptive to that and appreciate that, you know what I mean? That’s love. Love is love.”

Alicia Keys says she’s channeling Grace Jones with her headdress.

Jon Batiste is playing “My Favorite Things” on the sax whole posing on the carpet.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow turned out at the Met Gala after hitting the Formula One Miami Grand Prix.

A$AP Rocky’s attendance at this year’s Met Gala wasn’t always a sure bet, despite his status as a co-chair. That announcement came a couple months before the opening of his trial on firearms charges in Los Angeles. Rocky was ultimately found not guilty in mid-February, but his trial was testament to his appointment: He sported tailored suits and luxury labels throughout proceedings —Yves Saint Laurent even put out press releases directing attention to his high-fashion court attire. (He was clad in a pinstripe Saint Laurent suit for the verdict.)

The “Fashion Killa” rapper has long been known for killing it with his fashion sense, and has attended past Met Galas alongside partner Rihanna. He’s collaborated with several designers and brands on shoes, sunglasses and clothing collections. In December, he was honored with the Cultural Innovator Award at the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Awards.

Despite the “Tailored For You” menswear dress code, there were a surprising number of stars wearing gowns on the blue carpet. From rapper Megan Thee Stallion to model Gigi Hadid, the celebrities chose dresses over suited looks.

Sabrina Carpenter wore … most of a Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton suit. Most, because it featured a jacket and no pants.
“I’m such a massive fan of Pharrell,” she told Vogue on the red carpet, adding that Williams said, “You’re quite short so no pants for you” about the design.

With its influential guest list, the evening fosters ideal shoulder-rubbing conditions for New York’s political class.

Making repeat appearances this year are some New York City officials vying to oust incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (who donned a tuxedo with the words “End Gun Violence” at 2022’s Met Gala.) City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander are attending for the fourth and second consecutive years, respectively.

The list of politicians who have previously flexed their sartorial muscle on the red carpet includes: Bill de Blasio, Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Michael Bloomberg and Ronald Reagan.

Another longtime fixture? U.S. President Donald Trump, though that was before the Republican ever ran for office. Anna Wintour has said she will never invite Trump again.

“I’m not sure, probably three of me,” the Olympian responded.