Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved cat, Choupette, did not attend the 2023 Met Gala, but a few award-winning guests made sure to honor the millionaire feline heiress.
In typical Met Gala fashion, attendees were encouraged to bring their own interpretation to the “in honor of Karl” dress code. And singers Doja Cat, Jared Leto, and Lil Nas X took a novel spin on the theme by dressing up as Choupette.
Doja Cat Is Purrfect with Feline Prosthetics
For her Met Gala debut, the Grammy-winning female rapper channeled her inner feline in a custom Oscar de la Renta hooded gown.
The unconventional yet alluring creation included adorable cat ears and a flattering bodycon fit that seamlessly flowed into a feathered mermaid skirt with a long sweeping train.
Over 5,000 hours were spent manually stitching 350,000 silver and white ombre sea glass and bugle beads onto the glistening gown.
Doja Cat honors Karl Lagerfeld’s Birman cat Choupette in a custom Oscar de la Renta hooded gown with 350,000 silver and white ombre sea glass and bugle beads at the 2023 Met Gala on May 1, 2023 (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
To achieve a more feline appearance, Doja Cat wore facial prosthetics by Malina Stearns and sharp talon nails by Saccia.
In addition, makeup artist Ernesto Casillas gave her graphic winged eyeliner with heavy eyelashes, bronzed eyeshadow, and pencil-thin eyebrows using Charlotte Tilbury products.
“We wanted the makeup to read feline but still soft and pretty,” Casillas told Vogue. He used Charlotte Tilbury’s “The Feline Flick” liquid eyeliner “to do a thin and delicate cat-inspired eyeliner.” He added the “Pillow Talk” collection on Doja Cat’s lips and cheeks to create a “small but endearing detail.”
Doja Cat’s elegant cat-inspired gown features a backless design, a bodycon fit, and a dramatic feather skirt (Credit: Doug Peters / PA Images / INSTARimages)
Stylist Brett Alan Nelson helped curate Doja Cat’s purrfect Met Gala debut look.
Channeling Choupette’s glamour, the 27-year-old Kiss Me More hitmaker wore a 17-carat pear-shaped diamond headpiece, a custom arm piece with two pear-shaped diamonds, and various diamond rings and bracelets from Messika High Jewelry collections.
Doja Cat completes her glamorous feline appearance with facial prosthetics and diamond jewelry from Messika (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
Doja Cat stayed true to the feline concept throughout the evening, leaving Vogue’s livestream correspondent Emma Chamberlain confused by only responding with “meows” during her now-viral interview.
Jared Leto Is Unrecognizable in a Giant Furry Cat Costume
In case Doja Cat’s take on Choupette didn’t impress you, check out Jared Leto’s impersonation of the blue-cream tortie.
Honoring Choupette, the Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman donned a full-sized, furry Choupette mascot, complete with the cat’s glistening blue eyes and fuzzy paws.
Jared Leto anonymously prancing inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a giant, furry Choupette mascot during the 2023 Met Gala on May 1, 2023 (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
He frolicked around the Met Gala steps and posed with multiple A-listers, including Anne Hathaway, before taking off the huge headpiece to reveal his identity and his glittering blue eyeshadow and kohl-rimmed eyes.
Jared Leto removes his huge cat headpiece to reveal his identity (Credit: Doug Peters / PA Images / INSTARimages)
Lil Nas X Transforms Into a Modern Crystallized Cat
Lil Nas X has become known for pushing fashion boundaries since he rose to fame in 2019. And on Monday, the 24-year-old rapper‘s complete embodiment of the late designer’s cat for this year’s Met Gala perfectly encapsulated his fearless approach to fashion.
The Old Town Road hitmaker was virtually naked, wearing nothing but a silver Dior thong with crystal trims and chunky silver platform boots that blended seamlessly with his glittery silver body paint.
Lil Nas X leaves little to the imagination as he channels Choupette in a silver Dior thong, platform boots, and glittery body paint (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
Pat McGrath created Lil Nas X’s look using Pat McGrath Labs products, along with 5,000 scattered pearls and gemstones.
“It’s really taken to new, three-dimensional crystal and pearl levels,” the makeup artist told Vogue of Lil Nas X’s look, which reportedly took nine hours to create.
She added that it required her team to “fly all over the globe to find all of the pieces” for the creation, including “couture lace from 25 years ago” and “crystals from Austria.”
Lil Nas X’s look features 5,000 scattered pearls and gemstones created by Pat McGrath (Credit: Doug Peters / PA Images / INSTARimages)
Lil Nas X looked nearly unrecognizable as he donned a glitzy Venetian-style mask intricately embellished with silver, pearls, rhinestones, and glittering whiskers.
To complete the glamorous tribute, Lil Nas X wore sculpted extra-long nails by nail artist Temeka Jackson using Apres Nail products. These custom press-on nails were reportedly made with 600 glimmering crystals.
Lil Nas X wears an intricately embellished Venetian-style mask with silver, pearls, rhinestones, and glittering whiskers (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
Choupette Reacts to 2023 Met Gala Doppelgängers
The well-known Birman cat, who reportedly inherited part of the late designer’s $300 million fortune, responded to her doppelgängers on Instagram following the 2023 Met Gala that honored her father.
“Do I have a twin somewhere ?! I rate @dojacat and @jaredleto outfits 100/10,” she captioned a carousel of photos of herself and her twins.
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Before the event, Choupette took to Instagram to send her apologies for not making it to the gala.
“A million thanks to all of you my fans, animal lovers & Daddy’s admirers. You have all shown the kindest enthusiasm and unconditional support, I say MERCI.”
“Many people invited me to walk the red carpet of the #METGALA2023 in tribute to Daddy, but we preferred to stay peacefully & cozy at home. We pay tribute to my Daddy every day since his parting and we are very moved to see one more day dedicated to him.”
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