Met Gala 2019 highlights: Lady Gaga has four outfit changes as Katy Perry turns into a chandelier

The brightest stars in fashion and Hollywood collides on 6 May at the Met Gala, the biggest party of the year thrown by the venerable Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

As it does every year, the annual extravaganza to raise money for the museum’s Costume Institute kicked off the Met’s annual major fashion exhibition. This year, the theme was “camp” and A-listers strutted in the most eye-popping ensemble they could can find to match this theme. Gold, trains, fringe, fur, blonde wigs and inspirations from drag as well as camp legends Cher and David Bowie were trending on the pink carpet celebrating fashion so bad it’s good.

This year’s gala theme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” was inspired by a seminal 1964 essay by Susan Sontag in which she describes the phenomenon as something that shan’t be talked about: “To talk about Camp is therefore to betray it.” Lady Gaga sheds many-a-layer

Lady Gaga set a high bar, bringing a shape-shifting look sure to spawn a thousand memes. The pop diva played Russian doll as her entourage unzipped three different looks in hot pink and black, until she sported nothing but glittering black lingerie, fishnets, vertiginous platform boots and wildly long spiky gold false eyelashes. Lilly Singh’s Met Gala debut

The woman of the hour Lilly Singh made her debut at the 2019 Met Gala in a Jeremy Scott bubblegum pink gown, inspired by her own name.

Serena Williams blends sporty with couture

Gaga is a hard act to follow but Serena Williams, one of her co-hosts, did her best in a neon yellow flowing custom Versace gown adorned with leaves, Nike sneakers on her feet. She was one of several athletes to attend, including Cam Newton, Dwyane Wade with wife Gabrielle Union, and Tom Brady with Gisele Bundchen on his arm.

Zendaya, Nicki Minaj channel their inner Disney princesses

Zendaya’s Cinderella Tommy Hilfiger dress went aglow with the wave of a magic wand. She dropped one of her see-through slippers on the way up the long staircase at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the cocktail hour. Also princessy, of the saucy variety: Nicki Minaj in a short pink Prabal Gurung dress with yards and yards to her train, the last star to walk the carpet.

Cardi B carries her red carpet on the pink carpet

Rap star Cardi B brought her own red carpet, donning a curve-hugging oxblood Thom Browne gown embellished with feathers that radiated out to form a lengthy circular train, a look she capped with a bugle-bead headpiece.

Katy Perry literally dazzles

Singer Katy Perry was literally glowing: the superstar dressed as a candelabra chandelier dripping with crystals, a clear reference to the Lumiere character from Beauty and the Beast.

Harry Styles goes sheer, Gigi Hadid is Catwoman-meets-ice queen

Harry Styles offered a tad of see-through via his custom Gucci organza shirt with black lace, donning a single bee earing and heeled booties. Kacey Musgraves, in custom Moschino, was a proper pink Barbie with long platinum hair, while Gigi Hadid walked with the designer of her look, Kors, offering a silver cat woman style in a swirl-pattern jumpsuit, long coat and helmet-like hat, with long spiked white eyelashes.

Janelle Monae’s avante garde look

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A post shared by Janelle Monáe (@janellemonae) on May 6, 2019 at 6:01pm PDT

Pop futurist Janelle Monae had jaws dropping with an elaborate black, white and pink number that recalled a cubist painting —complete with a Cleopatra-style eye covering one breast whose lavishly long eyelashes blinked and a tower of hats that would inspire envy in the Madhatter himself. Lupita Nyongo’s look is all shades of rainbow

Lupita Nyong’o meanwhile embodied the theme donning a gown topped off with a rainbow-colored plume, matching fluffy fan and gold Afro picks in her Marie Antoinette-style beehive updo.

Jared Leto faces off with his decapitated self

Jared Leto wore a red caftan with jewel loops, cradling his long-haired macabre version of himself.

Billy Porter’s Egyptian-inspired outfit

Billy Porter, meanwhile, had his mic-drop moment with a fabulous entrance that saw the performer arrive on a gold litter hoisted by six shirtless men, before he got down to show off his sparkling set of wings. He went Egyptian-esque sun god in gold wings and a chain head piece by the design duo the Blonds, carried onto the carpet by shirtless men in gold pants as he lay on top of a black throne.

Tiffany Haddish distributes fried chicken snack

TIFFANY HADDISH MADE AND BROUGHT FRIED CHICKEN TO SHARE AT THE MET GALA AND SHE IS ABSOLUTE #GOALS.@TiffanyHaddish#SheREADY#MetGala2019#MetGala#MetCamphttps://t.co/YPOjpX7cGi pic.twitter.com/ohDQ7m1kZ5

— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 6, 2019

Tiffany Haddish, in a black-and-silver tiger stripe “Pimperella” Michael Kors pantsuit with wide bells at the ankles, a glitzy hat on her head, said she vowed not to go snackless this year, hence the fried chicken. “I bring my own snacks because last year I was starving and I learned my lesson,” she said. Of the theme, she declared: “Camping means no panties!” She noted that during her broke days, “I used to buy knock-off Michael Kors everything. Now here I am several years later wearing Michael Kors, for me, designed for me.” Awkwafina, Kim Kardarshian, Kylie Jenner bend fashion rules

Awkwafina breezed through in trophy gold, accompanied by designer Joseph Altuzarra, while others in garish greens, animal prints and metallics soaked up the theme. Some played it safe in more traditional carpet looks, like Hailey Bieber in a lovely, tight pink dress with a daring — but not terribly campy — low back.

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A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on May 6, 2019 at 6:53pm PDT

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A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on May 6, 2019 at 8:23pm PDT

Kim Kardashian West was dewy in tight, tight, tight couture Thierry Mugler, husband Kanye West stone-faced silent at her side in a Dickey’s zip jacket. Sister Kylie Jenner went for purple from her loose dyed hair to her big feather-muff sleeves, giving partner Travis Scott a peck on the lips as she walked.

Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas along with Deepika Padukone at the after party

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas were joined by Anaita Shroff Adajania, Huma Abedin, Deepika Padukone and Natasha Poonawalla at the MET Gala after party.

(With inputs from agencies)