Cocktail Hour at the Met Gala: What Comes After the Carpet

Up the carpeted stairs, previous the tuxedoed photographers, Anna Wintour stood on the prime of the steps on the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork’s Costume Institute profit.

“Your royal highnesses,” Baz Luhrmann, the Australian movie director, mentioned as he approached Unhealthy Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Chris Hemsworth, who had been standing in a receiving line with Ms. Wintour. The house had been remodeled by greenery, crammed with string musicians and dancers, making a “Midsummer Night time’s” dreamscape simply off Fifth Avenue.

“How is it on the market?” Ms. Wintour mentioned, including, “You look unimaginable.”

One after the other, the stratospherically well-known faces that captivate imaginations worldwide walked fastidiously up the steps and stopped to speak to the row of co-chairs. (Zendaya, the fifth co-chair, didn’t make it to the perch.)

Ms. Wintour, the worldwide editorial director of Condé Nast and the editor in chief of Vogue, had as soon as once more convened her starry annual bash, turning a hovering temple of the humanities right into a wanting glass on our occasions — one reflecting a heady swirl of movie star, commerce, trend, magnificence, aspiration, energy, intrigue and bankable affect.

Final 12 months, the occasion raised about $22 million for the Costume Institute, which homes the museum’s costume assortment — thousands and thousands greater than different main New York Metropolis galas. This 12 months’s occasion was co-sponsored by Loewe and TikTok, which is at present facing a potential ban in the United States.

Welcoming a deep-pocketed tech firm as a sponsor shouldn’t be new for the Met Gala: Each Amazon and Instagram have bankrolled the Costume Institute exhibitions in years previous. However the pairing of Vogue and TikTok, united within the race to seize our consideration, suggests the video platform reshaping a lot of what we do and put on, additionally has a spot in excessive trend.

As Max Hollein, the director and chief government of the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork, put it, “It was a form of a pure development to this 12 months, from Instagram to TikTok.”

Friends had been dressed of their finest interpretation of the exhibition theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Vogue,” and the costume code, “Backyard of Time.”

Seth Meyers, accompanied by his spouse, Alexi Ashe, mentioned strolling up the steps this 12 months truly felt very calming.

“We attempt to are available with not a whole lot of ego,” he mentioned, including that he usually feels the photographers aren’t interested by him. “Even within the age of digital pictures, you’re feeling like they’re saving their movie.”

Sarah Jessica Parker arrived with Andy Cohen, the Bravo host. Ms. Parker mentioned she tried to pay shut consideration to the theme this 12 months, and even learn the 1962 short story that inspired it.

“I like the problem of the theme,” she mentioned. “I believe typically it actually eludes me, and typically it’s way more recognizable or I could make sense of it extra shortly, however I preferred the concept of paying consideration.”

“Going along with her is only a dream,” Mr. Cohen mentioned. “It’s like being on just a little puff of cotton sweet all night time. And he or she takes such care to do it proper.”

As Ms. Parker and Mr. Cohen had been making their method to the exhibition, Jeff Bezos stopped to go with her costume, and the string of lengthy pearls she was carrying. Standing together with his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, they recalled having met as soon as, on a ship in Spain.

Ms. Sánchez and Mr. Bezos perused the “Sleeping Beauties” exhibition, hand in hand, stopping to have a look at the totally different shows. As she walked, her Oscar de la Renta dress made a sound on the ground that sounded a bit like squeaking geese.

“You’re so loud,” Mr. Bezos mentioned with fun.

Attendees packed into elevators and headed to the Charles Engelhard Courtroom, the place servers in white jackets with little inexperienced bows supplied trays of champagne, glowing water and cucumber margaritas.

Across the room, Matt Damon talked to Barry Diller. Ayo Edebiri chatted with Donald Glover. Kris Jenner arrived along with her companion, Corey Gamble. She took a seat in a nook close to a bronze sculpture. Ms. Sánchez, with a glass in hand, walked as much as Ms. Jenner and gave her two kisses.

“Jeff,” Mr. Bezos mentioned, introducing himself. “Good to see you.”

Waiters with silver trays supplied little bites of little issues like tuna tartare on a rice crisp and hearts of palm with avocado purée.

Close by, wearing a tuxedo and smart sneakers, Stephen A. Schwarzman, the chief government of the Blackstone funding group, sat alone on a bench, his cellphone’s speaker held as much as his mouth.

On the opposite aspect of the room, members of the Ok-pop group Stray Youngsters picked off the appetizers as they stood collectively in a nook behind Lea Michele. Ms. Michele, who’s pregnant, was seated at a desk with Jonathan Groff.

“After I was pregnant with my son, it was 2020, and I used to be residence carrying sweatpants and a T-shirt,” she mentioned, “and now I’m in Rodarte on the Met. So it’s a really totally different being pregnant.”

Ms. Michele was significantly excited to see who was going to carry out. “It’s my favourite half, clearly, as a singer,” she mentioned. “It’s simply so fantastic to get to have an unimaginable performer to do a personal live performance.”

Round 8 p.m., a door in the midst of the room opened and performers walked out to the sound of drumming, and danced all through the house — a sign it was meal time.

“Let’s get going,” Mr. Luhrmann mentioned to the group. “When Anna says get in, it’s time to get in.”

“I’m having the most effective night time ever!” Ms. Sánchez mentioned loudly. “I’m having a lot enjoyable!”

Attendees had been ushered off to a meal that included a medley of spring greens adopted by a filet of beef.

Slowly, late arrivals made their method into dinner. Rachel Sennott walked in with Kylie Jenner. Kim Kardashian waved off extra pictures. Cardi B, surrounded by ushers carrying her costume, squeezed via two columns.

Inside, underneath candelabra entwined with floral preparations, friends had been seated across the Temple of Dendur, the Egyptian temple, the place partitions depict scenes of a king making choices to the gods.