17 Looks That Did the Most at the Met Gala: Rihanna, Lil Nas X and More

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Who interpreted (or ignored) the Karl Lagerfeld theme best? Hint: Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Phoebe Bridgers, Jared Leto and Anok Yai made the list.

Living art.Credit...Nina Westervelt for The New York Times

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By The Styles Desk

The guest list for the first Monday in May, as the Met Gala is also known, serves as a Rorschach test for whom Anna Wintour deems important, circa now. This year’s attendees included many of the frequent fliers, like Kim Kardashian, Gigi Hadid and Serena Williams, as well as some new names: the W.N.B.A. star and recent Russian detainee Brittney Griner, the musical artist Doja Cat and — shockingly — Paris Hilton. (How is it possible that she’s never gone before? A grotesque oversight!)

Each year the dress code tracks to the theme of the show, which this time around is devoted to the six-and-a-half-decade career of Karl Lagerfeld. Many guests wore black and white or suits and gowns embellished with pearls or flowers — favorite motifs of Mr. Lagerfeld. Bad Bunny went for a full white suit with a stole of fabric flowers that functioned as a train. Janelle Monáe gave a performance on the carpet, removing her enormous Thom Browne coat to reveal a sheer hoop skirt. Doja Cat and Jared Leto each paid homage to Choupette, Mr. Lagerfeld’s feline friend. Kylie Jenner, Gabrielle Union, Salma Hayek Pinault and Pedro Pascal stood out in hot reds, and Lil Nas X stole the show in silver body paint and not much else.

There were many wonderful dresses that paid respect to Mr. Lagerfeld’s legacy — in fact, there were too many to name. There were also many looks that just looked great (Halle Bailey, Camila Morrone, Naomi Campbell, Keke Palmer and Aurora James just to name a few). So here’s a reminder: The looks that follow did the most at the Met Gala — not necessarily the best, not necessarily the worst, just the most. For the many more we don’t cite here, be sure to look through our red carpet photos.

“Clutching of the pearls” was one of the driving ideas behind her heavily beaded look from Schiaparelli, Ms. Coel said. And, wow, were there plenty of pearls — and stones, and crystals, and gold work — to clutch!

A rain cloud, but make it glittery. Ms. Yai’s gold and silver strapless sequined dress by Prabal Gurung arched out dramatically at her hips, raining down in streams of silver to her feet.

Doja Cat leaned into both her name and the theme, dressing in a homage to Karl Lagerfeld’s famed white cat, Choupette. She wore a backless hooded silver gown from Oscar de la Renta with a white feather train. The best part of the look, though, was plastered to her face: custom feline prosthetics.

Don’t step on Bad Bunny’s train, but do get on board with it. The musician’s white suit from Simon Porte Jacquemus was giving business in the front, party in the back. Or backless, as it were, as the jacket had a large cutout.

Like many, the evening’s co-chair opted to go straight to the source, wearing a white tweed Chanel gown styled after one model Claudia Schiffer donned in 1992. (Check the pockets!) Bonus points to Ms. Lipa for styling it with some subtle, understated jewelry, a Tiffany diamond necklace weighing in at just 100 carats.

Fans will have immediately spotted the link between Ms. Bridgers’s signature skeleton suit and her Met gown from Tory Burch. On Monday, the musician traded up her usual bones for, fittingly, a black dress studded with strategically positioned pearls.

On a night with no shortage of pearls, Mr. Waititi’s strands — only two slung from his neck and dangling all the way to just below his hips — fell over a long pearlescent gray tuxedo jacket by Prabal Gurung.

Her white Chanel gown was elongated by sparkly columns of paneling, but the most notable part of her ensemble was a white-feathered cape that she flapped for extra drama. Reminiscent of an angel, one might say.

Mr. Henry’s look for the evening had other lovely elements — pearls among them, of course — but the most important of them was his cape, piled high with artfully structured black ruffles.

There are plenty of things one could write about Mr. Pascal’s red and black color-blocked pairing on Monday night, but let’s be honest, we’re all just thinking about the shorts.

The musician’s entire body — save for a thong — was covered in silver paint and rhinestones, like a high fashion Tin Man via Pat McGrath. Someone please snap a photo of his seat after dinner.

Arriving at 10:15 p.m. as only she could and get away with, Rihanna stepped onto the carpet looking rather, well, elliptical tucked inside a cream-colored egg of camellias from Valentino. How was she feeling? “Expensive,” she said.

Mr. Leto assumed the role of mascot in a giant white cat costume, another nod to Mr. Lagerfeld’s beloved pet. After he had sufficiently scared the press corps, he removed the costume, revealing pale blue eye shadow that matched the cat’s oversized eyes.

What started out as an oversized tweed overcoat ended as a black, sparkly bikini as Ms. Monáe revealed layer after layer — including a giant hoop skirt — of Thom Browne. (Which might have taken the prize for least clothes on the carpet were Lil Nas X not in attendance.)

The musician’s sheer black corset dress from Simone Rocha matched her hair, which was flanked by sparkly black barrettes on either side of her face. A departure from last year’s blond bombshell look.

The Talking Heads frontman didn’t need to worry about his bicycle making it up the steps. Someone came to take it away before he ascended.

An uninvited guest scurried up the carpet while the crowd waited for Rihanna to make her entrance. “Who are you wearing” jokes were bandied about.

Madison Malone Kircher, Stella Bugbee and Anna Grace Lee contributed reporting.