The theme for the 2023 Met Gala is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, in honor of the late great designer. As in previous themes, the “in honor of Karl” dress code was open for interpretation.
Some took it literally and dressed up like the icon himself. Others actually embodied the role of Lagerfeld’s beloved cat, Choupette.
And then there’s Nicole Kidman.
Nicole Kidman wearing a Chanel Haute Couture gown from circa 2004 to the 2023 Met Gala with the theme Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 1, 2023 (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
The 55-year-old actress hit the archives and stepped out in a stunning Chanel Haute Couture gown from 2004. It’s the same glamorous dress that Kidman wore in her iconic Chanel No. 5 commercial from the same year.
Nicole Kidman and Rodrigo Santoro star in “Le Film,” a Chanel No. 5 commercial directed by Baz Luhrmann (Credit: YouTube)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, Kidman plays a Hollywood starlet in “Le Film,” one of the most expensive commercials ever produced, with a budget of $33 million.
She is seen wearing the dress as she desperately tries to escape from the paparazzi and the chaos of stardom. Kidman jumps into a cab and finds herself sitting next to an unsuspecting man played by Rodrigo Santoro, who whisks her away and changes her life forever.
Kidman may have portrayed a Hollywood princess in a whirlwind romance, but her very own real-life prince was there to help her up the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Keith Urban stepped out in a classic black tux with a crisp white dress shirt and glossy black leather dress shoes.
Keith Urban accompanied his wife Nicole Kidman to the 2023 Met Gala (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman arrived at this year’s Met Gala wearing the same glamorous design: pink silk tulle, pink ostrich feather embroidery, silver crystal and sequin embellishments, and a four-meter train.
In the ad, Karl Lagerfeld designed all of the costumes himself. But it’s this particular pink tulle number that really made an impact.
As Kidman told Vogue, “I have the most indelible memories of fittings with Karl in the atelier, and I loved witnessing his dedication to his craft.”
Nicole Kidman re-wore her iconic Chanel No. 5 commercial dress, which featured pink silk tulle and ostrich feather embroidery (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
The statuesque star continued, “I remember his laugh when he first sketched the dress and handed me the sketch. He always made me laugh. He designed a number of dresses for me, but I think this is the most spectacular.”
Kidman recounted how Lagerfeld often turned to pink hues when designing a gown for her: “I remember he made me a pink dress for the Oscars one year. When he designed, he always loved to see me in the palest of pink.”
Nicole Kidman’s dress was designed by Karl Lagerfeld himself and featured a pale pink hue and a four-meter train (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
If there’s anything that this year’s Met Gala and Nicole Kidman’s iconic dress showed, it’s that a well-made piece designed by a master craftsman can and will live on as a timeless piece of history.