Met Gala 2023: Jared Leto, Doja Cat and Lil Nas X pay homage to Karl Lagerfeld's cat Choupette

Celebrities descended onto the Met Gala red carpet last night in their glitz and glam for fashion’s biggest night of the year, but some stars chose to take a different approach to the Karl Lagerfeld theme, and honour the late designer’s beloved cat, Choupette, instead.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition, after which the Met Gala theme is decided, this year celebrates 'Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty' - an homage to the late French designer and Chanel creative director who died in 2019.

As such, the carpet was a veritable retrospective of his career, from his days at the fashion house, as well as his time at Fendi, Chloé and his own eponymous brand.

However, famous faces from Jared Leto to Doja Cat channelled feline-inspired outfits at the star-studded New York event, in apparent tribute to the blue-cream tortie Birman cat owned by the late German designer.

Leto by far went with the most literal approach, arriving on the famous Met Museum steps in a full-on cat costume, similar to that of a sporting mascot, with a removable head.

The 51-year-old actor and musician entertained photographers and onlookers with several poses before announcing, muffled and through the giant head, “I’m Choupette!” to the crowd.

He later removed the whiskered head to reveal his signature long locks and eyeliner, and eventually his caped look beneath.

Doja Cat on the other hand, in true Doja Cat style, went for a more subtle, but no less impactful take on Choupette, by turning to prosthetics.

Wearing a backless embellished custom Oscar de la Renta gown, which featured a hood with incorporated cat ears, Doja Cat – Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini – leaned into the theme with a prosthetic feline-inspired nose. She completed the look with a cat-eye liner and extremely thin eyebrows.

Committing 110% to her role, Doja Cat later baffled a red carpet interviewer by speaking only by meowing when asked about her outfit.

Elsewhere, rapper and musician Lil Nas X went all in with a head-to-toe diamanté and pearl encrusted look, which were place atop the artist’s silver-painted body, instead of clothing.

It reportedly took famed makeup artist to the stars, Pat McGrath, nine hours and “thousands of crystals” to complete Lil Nas X’s transformation into a “modern version of a cat,” but the result was a show-stopping look like no other on the Met Gala red carpet.

Lagerfeld’s cat travelled everywhere with him before his death in 2019, and lived a true life of luxury, with a full-time nanny, chef and bodyguard.

Choupette was also reportedly invited to walk the red carpet at the 2023 Met Gala in honour of “Daddy” but instead “preferred to stay peacefully & cosy at home”.

Watch: Doja Cat, Jared Leto dress as cats at the Met Gala