Who Are The Hosts Of The 2023 Met Gala?
Each spring, some of the world's biggest names in fashion and otherwise come together to attend the Met Gala in New York City. The controversial 2023 Met Gala theme is "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." It honors the late designer, who died in 2019 at 85. Lagerfeld worked with brands like Fendi, Balmain, and Chloé. His status as a legend was cemented after he became Chanel's artistic director in 1983, and he is often credited for saving the brand from ruin. The Met Gala's exhibit will present his designs and sketches for the viewing pleasure of its guests.
One of the things you should know about the Met Gala is that it can cost guests over $300,000 to purchase a ticket and table to attend. This high price is for a good cause as the money goes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. In fact, in 2022, the event raised $17.4 million. While it's unknown who will be at the Met Gala until the day of, one person you can expect to be there is Vogue's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. Wintour has been planning and hosting the Met Gala since 1995. Of course, Wintour does not do this alone. In 2022, power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds — along with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Regina King — acted as co-chairs. In 2023, four new well-known names took on the role: Michaela Coel, Dua Lipa, Roger Federer, and Penelope Cruz.
The co-hosts have an array of duties
Co-hosts for the Met Gala do more than dress up and walk the red carpet — they take an active role in planning the event by choosing the decor, the menu, and the guest list. In January 2023, Vogue announced that Michaela Coel, Dua Lipa, Roger Federer, and Penelope Cruz were hosting the event alongside Anna Wintour. Coel is an actor that has starred in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and the series "Chewing Gum." She was also Vogue's cover star in November 2022. Similarly, Lipa, a pop star, was on the cover of Vogue in the summer of 2022.
Lipa gained international fame for her songs like "Don't Start Now" and "Levitating." In 2019, she performed at Chanel's Mademoiselle Privé exhibit in Shanghai. As a Met Gala co-chair, there is a possibility that Lipa will perform at the event. Federer, on the other hand, is a famed tennis player. He and Wintour have been friends since 2005. In a 2017 article for Tennis Magazine, Wintour referred to herself as his "groupie" and opened up about Federer's love for fashion. In 2019, he was named the most stylish man of the decade by GQ. Cruz, a celebrated actor and Oscar Winner, round outs the list.
Penelope Cruz on Karl Lagerfeld
As an actor, Penelope Cruz is best known for her films "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," "Vanilla Sky," and more. However, Cruz is also a fashion icon that has continually made several best-dressed lists. While it's unknown why Cruz was chosen to co-host the 2023 Met Gala, she has a long-standing relationship with Chanel. She was also good friends with Karl Lagerfeld, whom she met in 1999. In 2018, Lagerfeld appointed Cruz as a Chanel ambassador. Cruz spent time with Lagerfeld shortly before his death at a Chanel show in late 2018. After his death, Cruz walked for Chanel at his final show.
There, she praised Lagerfeld and his collection. Cruz also gave insight into who he was behind his legendary persona. She said (via WWD), "We all know he was a genius, but when you got to spend time with him, you discovered that other side, of kindness and sweetness. Over the last year working together with him, especially, we became close, we had a very strong connection. I loved all the conversations I would have with him, he knew so much about everything, and still had so much curiosity to keep on learning." Cruz is still involved with Chanel and was at their fall 2023 runway show.