Met Gala 2023: Get Set For Fashion's Big Night

Fashion's biggest night is just a few hours away – after all, it is the first Monday in May. Follow along for real-time updates on the 2023 Met Gala from The Associated Press. We'll be bringing you news in all formats, all day and all night, from the carpet and behind the scenes. This year's theme revolves around late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.

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Pas De Chat: No Choupette

The Met Gala guest list is highly secretive and thus in great demand. But this year, there was one name that had fashion fans and the press achatter: Choupette Lagerfeld, 11.

Would Lagerfeld's muse – who also happened to be the late designer's cat – leave her perch in France for New York? Alas, she has spoken: Non.

Choupette – or an oracle with opposable thumbs – took to Instagram on Monday morning to dispel rumors that she would walk (or be walked) up the iconic stairs. While she expressed gratitude that the man she calls "Daddy" was being honored, she said "we preferred to stay peacefully & cozy at home."

Her account posted the photo Monday morning. If she's changed her mind in the hours since, she could still make the gala – after all, the flight from Paris to New York is around eight hours and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not require domestic cats to quarantine upon arrival. Oui, we checked.

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Inside The Met Exhibit

AP's Jocelyn Noveck got a sneak peek inside the Met's actual exhibit on Lagerfeld. With a bit of cheek, a doorway is emblazoned with the words: "Fashion does not belong in a museum." And yet visitors are treated to 14 galleries of fashion in the museum. While that quote came from Lagerfeld himself, Noveck notes that the exhibit otherwise doesn't focus on Lagerfeld's more contentious takes.

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What's The Deal With Karl Lagerfeld

The late fashion designer's selection as the theme is not without controversy, with some criticizing his unapologetically polemical comments on a variety of topics, including xenophobic and fatphobic remarks. AP Entertainment Writer Leanne Italie, who will be anchoring our coverage tonight, breaks down the designer's multifaceted legacy.

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What To Expect From This Year's Met Gala

This year is themed around the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new exhibit, "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." Given that Lagerfeld was, well, a fashion designer, you can expect many a haute look.

The guest list is heavily guarded, but every year leaks do escape. Check out our guide on the 2023 Met Gala for a sneak peek on who might walk up those iconic stairs tonight, brought to you by AP National Writer Jocelyn Noveck (who will also bring you one of the rare dispatches from inside the event).

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How To Watch The Met Gala

A livestream will kick off on Vogue.com at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. But the AP can give you a first look at what to expect – check back here in the late afternoon for a livestream of departures from the Mark Hotel, a nearby venue where many stars get ready for the gala.

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For more Met Gala coverage, follow this link.