Met Gala 2023 highlights: Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, more on red carpet

NEW YORK – Rihanna is never late – everyone else is simply early.

Though the Met Gala was traditionally prompt, on the first Monday in May and the first of the month, the singer arrived fashionably late, gracing the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with A$AP Rocky (and baby No. 2 baking) to close out the red carpet with sartorial flair.

The carpet didn't end until the multihyphenate reclaimed her spot at fashion's biggest night, honoring Karl Lagerfeld with her white Valentino gown and complementary cape of giant Chanel-inspired camellia florals.

Lagerfeld's spirit was felt at the annual benefit, which serves as a glamorous fundraiser for the latest exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, this year featuring the late designer and creative director. Stars from Kim Kardashian to Nicole Kidman celebrated the invite-only event's dress code, "In honor of Karl," paying tribute to the creative director of top fashion houses including Chanel, Fendi and Chloé, in addition to helming his eponymous label.

From the moments you didn't see to the sartorial glitz of the attendees, USA TODAY got an inside look at the biggest highlights on the red carpet:

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Rihanna's Met Gala finale was worth the wait. And there was a wait.

It seemed Cardi B would be the last attendee to make her way along the red carpet, but murmurs soon surfaced that a "special guest" had yet to arrive. Minutes turned into over an hour as the press and attendees waited for the star to arrive.

A brief moment of chaos ensued when a cockroach scuttled around the carpet: Photographers snapped pictures of the bug; yelps rang out when the creature got too close; someone yelled out "what is he wearing?!"

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union exited the evening before Rihanna made her entrance, as did Diddy and Yung Miami (who were hosting an after-party); Michelle Yeoh, who was also hosting an after-party, descended the steps as Rihanna was posing for photographers.

When Rihanna and A$AP finally stepped onto the cream-colored carpet, screams erupted from fans standing across Fifth Avenue, some of whom camped out since morning, and they chanted the lyrics to her song "Diamonds."

The mogul, dripping in jewels, shared how she was feeling: "Good good, expensive!"

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Kardashian, now a Met Gala veteran, wore a custom Schiaparelli ensemble, blending a nude bra and miniskirt with draped rows of pearls.

"I feel like Karl's always super glamorous and you'd see a lot of pearls," Kardashian told USA TODAY as she described her interpretation of the night's theme paying homage to Lagerfeld, who photographed Kardashian in her very first fashion shoot in 2013 for CR Fashion Book.

Not far behind her were sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner: Kendall in a custom Marc Jacobs sequined black cheeky onesie with a silver glitter collar and train-length sleeves; Kylie in a red Jean Paul Gaultier gown with a playful one-shoulder cutout and thigh-high slit. The threesome posed together for photographers before heading inside.

Pete Davidson, Kardashian's ex with whom she walked the Met Gala steps in 2022, attended separately and left the event not long after the carpet closed.

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Choupette's style was definitely the cat's meow in terms of inspiration.

Lagerfeld's cat, a white Siamese named Choupette, gave the designer a run for his money in the fame department, with tens of thousands of social media followers thanks to a pair of fan accounts. On Monday, Jared Leto and Doja Cat took the kitty's sense of style literally, each donning their own version of feline fashion.

Leto dressed up in a full animal suit, appearing like a massive version of the cat before removing his feline head and changing into a black, jewel-collared look featuring a cape. Leto held onto the large head, with Jimmy Fallon running up to give the oversized costume piece a gentle kiss on the nose as he greeted the star.

Doja Cat made her Met Gala debut in a sleek, head-to-toe diamond ensemble from Oscar de la Renta, complete with cat ears that wrapped around the top of her head, a prosthetic cat nose and long, curved nails that resembled cat claws.

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As stars approached the final few steps of the carpet, they shared insights about their Met Gala ensembles and caught up with friends and colleagues old and new.

Wearing a black suit, black sunglasses, leather gloves and a cream tie paired with a glimmering tie knot broach, Usher embraced the theme. The night was about "honoring Karl and design, and (my look is) created by Bianca Saunders," he said, gesturing to the designer to his left.

"I've been talking more than I've been enjoying," Usher said, though noting he enjoyed experiencing the carpet with Saunders. "This is fun."

Usher said he was "eager to get inside" to see the night's attendees, and the singer, whose Las Vegas residency has consistently sold out shows, teased new hits: "Yes, you sure can (expect new music) later this year."

Keke Palmer went for a "timeless," "classic" look for her shimmering pastel gown by designer Sergio Hudson, alongside whom she walked the carpet.

"We're just looking for old Hollywood, pulling from Karl Lagerfeld's work with Chanel in the early ’90s, a little Robin Givens on the hair, Naomi the model and the makeup, and a little bit of Josephine Baker and her iconic looks, even past the banana skirt," Palmer said.

On the topic of motherhood, Palmer said she feels "so grateful" and "so blessed." She added, "I'm happy to be out tonight, have a little fun and get back to my little one."

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Tennis champ Roger Federer donned Dior by Kim Jones with a special touch: His jacket lining and his pocket square featured Lagerfeld's sketches. Federer said he wanted to "go classic but with some nice details on the inside."

"The most extensive preparations I've ever made," he said with a laugh.

"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" star Rachel Brosnahan recalled a Lagerfeld memory. "The first piece that I ever bought was a beautiful hat at the Paris airport on a layover of all places, but I think it's completed just about every outfit I've worn," she said. "That's the thing: It's classic pieces that can be worn with just about anything."

Brosnahan also fangirled over seeing Doja Cat: "I mean Doja Cat is right there, she's a cat … I'm dorking out."

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It's not the Met Gala without a few revelations.

Other than pearls and camellia flowers, baby bumps were the must-have accompaniment for some stars. Serena Williams announced her pregnancy with her second child at the Met Gala. Willams, whose husband Alexis Ohanian stood by her side, wore a structured black Gucci dress finished with white tulle at the bottom. Model Karlie Kloss also revealed her pregnancy, posing sideways and cradling her bump.

Diddy made an entrance with his massive Sean John cape, but it was his date who turned heads. The hip-hop mogul appeared arm-in-arm with his on-again-off-again girlfriend Yung Miami, who recently said she was single in an interview with The Cut, published in April.

While telling Vogue that he and Yung Miami do indeed "definitely go together real bad," Diddy had an issue with his black flowered cape staying on, sweating as he tried to readjust it before taking it off and holding it over his arm.

Cardi B also had a close call with her flowering skirt, grasping onto the railing as her handlers helped steady her from nearly falling backward.

"Abbott Elementary" creator and star Quinta Brunson joined singer Tems, "White Lotus" star Aubrey Plaza, Doja Cat and more as first-time attendees, quickly posing for photos and making their way inside to enjoy the festivities.

The night's emphasis on ushering in the new while simultaneously recalling a complex legacy brought forth a refreshing ode to glamour, one with room for everyone.

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Contributing: Morgan Hines, Hannah Yasharoff, Edward Segarra, Charles Trepany