theme, how to watch and everything we know

It’s the first Monday in May and you know what that means: it’s fashion’s biggest night out.

The Met Gala, an annual fund-raising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases the pinnacle of themed haute couture on its red carpet each year. From opulent to outlandish, notable figures and the Hollywood elite dress to impress — or at least make a splash.

Last year’s unforgettable looks included Kim Kardashian controversially donning Marilyn Monroe’s glittering 1962 garment and Blake Lively’s ode to Lady Liberty in a dazzling copper and — after its unraveling — oxidized green gown.

Alongside Anna Wintour, Conde Nast’s chief content officer and Vogue’s global editorial director, popstar Dua Lipa, actress Penelope Cruz, tennis player Roger Federer and screenwriter Michaela Coel will serve as co-chairs of the event.

Here is everything else we know about New York’s most anticipated fashion extravaganza.

How to watch

To watch the biggest night in fashion unfold, stream the Met Gala’s red carpet arrivals and interviews on E! or Vogue’s website on May 1 beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

What to know about the red carpet

The Met Gala’s red carpet is the most coveted catwalk in pop culture history. Often referred to as the “fashion equivalent to the Oscars” and the “Super Bowl of fashion,” the star-studded benefit’s main event — at least to the plebeian public — is its grand entries.

From political figures to Hollywood favorites, the red carpet is the only time in the night everyone is privy to, as A-list elite carefully tread up the Met’s stairs in their highly anticipated outfits that range from elegant to whacky.

This year, fashion fanatics and reality TV devotees alike will be waiting anxiously to see if the Kardashian-Jenner family secured an invite after rumors circulated that they could be banned.

But once the last guest arrives and makes their way into the museum, that’s when the camera stops rolling – save for an official sneak peek captured by professional photographers inside.

Official rules bar celebs from snapping photos inside to keep up the facade of secrecy during the event — which involves a tour of the exhibit, dinner and cocktail hour — although the glamorous guests have been known to break the unspoken no cellphones edict.

This year’s theme

The 2023 theme “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” honors the late fashion icon who died in 2019 from pancreatic cancer age 85. This year, attendees are advised to dress “in honor of Karl.”

An ode to the design genius’ decadeslong career from 1954 to 2019, the Met will feature a collection of 150 Lagerfeld looks accompanied by the original sketches.

Lagerfeld, in addition to his own label and work with Balmain and Chloé, was once the creative director at Chanel and Fendi, and played a vital role in both fashion houses’ rise to luxe supremacy. But the designer, who was close friends with Wintour, was also notorious for his sharp tongue, which often got him into trouble.

Actress Jameela Jamil slammed the Met’s choice to commemorate Lagerfeld, citing some of his most offensive remarks and “bigoted” beliefs — namely, his disdain for “curvy women” and critique of the #MeToo movement. In 2017, he sparked outrage when evoking the Holocaust while criticizing Germany’s borders opening up to Syrian refugees.

The co-chairs

Pop star Dua Lipa, actress Penelope Cruz, tennis player Roger Federer and screenwriter and “I May Destroy You” star Michaela Coel will be co-chairs at the 2023 Met Gala alongside Wintour.

Their role, according to Marie Claire Australia, is to not only act as hosts but also to help curate the evening’s guest list and overall ambience, although Wintour has the final say.

Last year, Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Regina King secured the high-profile title.

Notable attendees

Despite speculation as to whether or not the Kardashian-Jenner crew will be in attendance this year, one notable guest was invited: Choupette, Lagerfeld’s beloved kitty.

“She got the invitation,” Lucas Berullier, Choupette’s agent and owner of My Pet Agency, which represents pet influencers, previously told The Post.

“It’s an event in honor of the legacy of Karl, and Choupette is obviously a central part of the legacy.”

Lagerfeld experts speculate that the darling cat could be accompanied by an entourage or alongside a legendary A-lister — the purr-fect treatment for the famous feline, which has even secured brand deals and her own cosmetics line.

However, as of Monday morning, the kitty will not be strutting down fashion’s biggest catwalk.

The history of the Met Gala

Traditionally held on the first Monday of May — save for the first year of the pandemic when it was postponed to September 2020 — the Met Gala fund-raises for the museum’s Costume Institute.

The brainchild of legendary fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, who also spearheaded the viral spectacle we know as New York Fashion Week, the themed event once cost a meager $50 for entry when it began in 1948. Now, tickets are estimated to be $30,000.

As the benefit has expanded and evolved over the many decades since its inception, it still plays a key role in financially supporting the institution’s exhibitions, acquisitions and improvements, per the Met.

Since Wintour took the helm in 1995, she has overseen nearly every Met Gala and has a heavy hand in the guest list — an exclusive and treasured slot A-listers vie for each year.