Rihanna can always be relied upon for a show-stopping Met Gala look. While she was neither the only one to land on oversized camellias (a symbol of Chanel) or an extensive train, the combination of five metre dress and 14 metre silk faille cape in this bespoke Valentino Couture number is quite breathtaking. Apparently it took 30 seamstresses to create and I can fully believe it.

Recently announced as a Valentino ambassador, Florence Pugh made quite the splash in her first official outing for the brand. Despite one commentator’s astute observation that she resembled a secretary bird (Google it), the head dress is actually my favourite part, recalling Kate Moss’ famous cover for The Face in 1990 and a great way to pull focus to her new buzzcut. The dress I don’t find to be all that flattering: the fabric isn’t great, the fit around the bust looks off and the reference to Karl Lagerfeld seems negligible.

There was a lot of speculation pre-event about whether any of the Kardashian-Jenners would make the cut this year after Vogue announced it would be culling the guest list. In the end Kendall, Kylie and Kim were all in attendance, with Kim’s Schiaparelli gown by Daniel Lee proving to be the most interesting. The pearls are an obvious Chanel reference but are very much done with a Schiaparelli reverence for the exaggerated and absurd.

Now this is more like it. Lil Nas X has taken the idea of Choupette and, with the help of makeup artist Pat McGrath, turned it into art. Yes, he may only be wearing a silver thong, body paint and pearls but thought, care and a painstaking attention to detail have gone into this look. Bravo.

This is subtle but effective from Eddie Redmayne and I’m a big fan. McQueen is well known for its tailoring so it’s no surprise that it’s nailed Lagerfeld’s favoured jacket cut. What I love most, however, is that Sarah Burton has latched on to a detail as small as Lagerfeld’s fondness for brooches and gone to town with it. It’s a lovely tribute that has major visual impact.

They may have taken the easy route – this is basic red carpet fare with a couple of Karl touches thrown in – but they look good and the outfits work in tandem nicely. The real talking point here is Chopra Jonas’ necklace, which, Bulgari informs me, features the Bulgari Laguna Blu Diamond: an 11.6-carat Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond that, with an estimate of $25 million, is set to become the most expensive diamond ever offered for sale by the jewellery house when it goes up for auction at Sotheby’s next week.

Kristen Stewart is a longtime Chanel ambassador and Lagerfeld muse so it was always going to be Chanel for her. In keeping with her personal tastes, she eschewed a gown in favour of a take on white tie from the Cruise 2016/17 collection. I’m not convinced on the hair but the rest is spot on.

The unintended coordination makes Coppola look like Stewart’s slightly disapproving mother – which is a shame because she looks great. The Chanel aesthetic suits her down to the ground.

Another star giving bridal drama, Halle Bailey donned an embellished lace Gucci gown and matching ruffled cape for the Met Gala 2023. It’s a lot. It’s pretty but reads both a little too old and a little overwhelming for her. The De Beers jewellery is a great choice.

The sunglasses! Frankly, it’s such an easy nod to Lagerfeld’s famous look I’m surprised we haven’t seen more of them – and Chastain is really making them work. She just looks cool; thanks in no small part of the new ice blonde dye job. Oh, and the gown is pretty great too.

Margot Robbie was the last celebrity to be handpicked by Karl Lagerfeld as a Chanel ambassador and, channelling an Old Hollywood vibe, I think she’s doing him proud. A remake of a 1993 Chanel gown first worn by Cindy Crawford, this won’t be the most attention-grabbing look of the night but it may well be one of the chicest.

This is nothing less than the elegance, grace and imagination we’ve come to expect from Mrs Prada. It’s no easy task to marry the aesthetic of a designer as iconic as Karl Lagerfeld while staying true to your own house, label and preferences but this incredible floral embellished cocoon coat and matching minidress is a perfect marriage of two of the most important designers of their day.

A saccharine sweet mother-daughter moment from the Mosses. Both are in blush Fendi: Kate in a bespoke gown based on a piece from the SS23 Couture collection by Kim Jones with Tiffany jewellery and Lila in a Fendi Couture AW18 gown by Karl Lagerfeld. Adorable.

Amanda Seyfried went full showgirl for the Met Gala 2023. Constructed from little more than a nude corseted bodysuit and a lot of chains, it’s a brave choice but also one that immediately stands out as perhaps not fitting the bill quite so well as some of the other gowns we’ve seen so far. More news on the story behind the dress when it comes in…

And we have our first Karl cosplay of the evening. Brian Tyree Henry looks fabulous; he’s taken Lagerfeld’s signature look and turned it up to 11. The pearls. The exaggerated shirt sleeves. The Italian widow lace ruffles. Here for all of it.

Tonight’s inimitable host, Anna Wintour, has been a loyal client of Chanel for decades so there was never any question as to which house she would be turning to for this evening’s outfit. The coat is gorgeous – as is her rather dapper escort, Bill Nighy.

Leave it to a super to really work the red carpet. Attending her first Met Gala since 2019, Gisele chose an archival Chanel striped sequin gown and dramatic feathered cape that she had previously worn for a 2007 Harper’s Bazaar Korea photoshoot.

Now, this is a clever one. Nicole Kidman is wearing the exact same dress (plus some Harry Winston dazzlers) that she donned to dash down the streets of New York for a Chanel No 5 perfume advert directed by Baz Luhrmann in 2004. And if Karl liked it then…

Met Gala photographers love a girl gang and, when they look this good, why not? If this image is anything to go by, embellishment and sparkle are going to reign supreme this evening. Loving Gabriela Hearst’s call back to Lagerfeld’s 1981 guitar dresses for Chloé.

Met Gala co-chair Penelope Cruz offered up a major bridal moment in this heavily embellished, hooded gown from the Chanel Couture SS88 collection. Lagerfeld was famed for his stunning bridal couture looks so I reckon he’d approve of this choice.

Co-chair of the night Dua Lipa stepped out in a voluminous corseted gown that is instantly recognisable as Chanel. An archival piece from the Chanel Couture AW92 collection, finished with an absolute gobstopper of a Tiffany necklace, this is a brilliant way for a young star to honour the theme while also tapping into current trends.

Rita Ora kicked off proceedings in suitably dramatic fashion with the first oversized train of the evening. The Prabal Gurung dress has drama but I’m not sure exactly what homage it’s paying to Lagerfeld. Waititi’s silk dressing gown, slippers and pearls get-up, on the other hand, is exactly what I imagine Lagerfeld hosting dinner parties in.

Emily Ratajkowski offered an interesting take on Chanel’s signature quilting in a gown finished with plenty of couture elements (the beading, the feathers, the tulle layers) that recall Lagerfeld’s many, many high fashion catwalks. It may not be the most memorable look of the evening but it gets a big tick from me.