Monday night saw the return of the Met Gala, with the world's fashion royalty serving up the usual weird and wonderful sartorial concoctions to grace the red carpet. From fantastic feline-inspired looks to glittering feathered gowns, little was off limits to celebrate the new exhibition: "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty".
The annual affair, chaired by Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, is known for its gaudy glamour and iconic red carpet. But once the A-listers climb the steps of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and slip away into the party, little is known about what happens behind closed doors.
Individual tickets for the top secret event are reported to cost $30,000 (£27,000) with a full table price starting at $275,000 (£200,000). At that price, one would expect a menu worthy of a royal banquet - but Pusha T is the latest celebrity to expose the reality of the infamous Met Gala menu…
Taking to Instagram, the American rapper filmed actor and dancer Teyana Taylor tucking into a plate of fried chicken. "Teyana Taylor is embarrassing me. She brought @chickfilausa to the #MetGala. I want her away from me #HARLEM," penned the star, whilst sharing a close-up of Teyana's crinkle-cut fries.
The rapper later revealed Usher "tried to stop her," but nothing could put off Teyana from tucking into her plate of fast food.
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Pusha T's post is not the first time celebrities have exposed the food inside the Met Gala. In 2022, Nickelodeon star Keke Palmer shared a photo of her 'meal' on Twitter, writing: "This why they don’t show y’all the food I’m just playinnnn."
Fans reacted hilariously to the sub-par meal, rushing to reply with their thoughts. "I'm trying to figure out what this even is?" replied one fan, whilst another wrote: "The longer you look at it, the grosser it gets."
"They're feeding y’all like it’s Fyre Festival," penned a third fan, to which another replied: "Didn’t the Fyre Festival at least have a cheese sandwich?" Ouch.
From what could be seen in the photo, the 29-year-old's meal at the Met Gala looked similar to one from a canteen salad bar, consisting of tomatoes, bulgar wheat, cucumbers, lettuce and mushrooms – and Twitter was not impressed.
Lizzo was the latest star to air her thoughts on the annual affair's hospitality. Speaking to Cosmopolitan, the About Damn Time singer recalled waiting in line for hours before being allowed onto the red carpet. "I was like, 'B*tch? Can we get some chairs or some drinks or some hors d'oeuvres?' They were being really stingy with the liquor that night," she said.
"He was like, 'Red or white wine? And I was like, 'Tequila! Do you know what I've been through? Do you know how many hours I've been in this corset? How long I've been in these damn shoes? Tequila!'"
According to Vogue, this year's Met Gala menu was curated by caterer Olivier Cheng, who took inspiration from one of Lagerfeld’s most famous soirées: the wedding reception he hosted for Paloma Picasso.
The elegant menu boasted chilled pea soup, King salmon with pickled strawberries and petit fours - along with a limitless offering of Diet Coke, one of the late fashion mogul's favourite beverages.
Chick-fil-A aside, there's no denying this year's fashion moments were some of best in Met Gala history. Take a look at our favourites below...
Best dressed stars at the Met Gala 2023
Teyana Taylor
Teyana may not have been served a meal she hoped for at the Met Gala, but her business-babe hybrid suit dress certainly ate on the red carpet.
Billie Eilish
© Getty ImagesBillie Eilish blew crowds away in Simone Rocha as she attended the Met Gala on Monday night.
Rihanna
© Getty ImagesRihanna and A$AP Rocky, in typical Met Gala fashion, were the last to show, with the singer opting for an archival white chrysalis-like Fendi piece atop a white gown covered in roses, eventually unravelling to reveal a more form-fitting gown that highlighted her baby bump.
Gisele Bunchden
© GettyGisele was a vision in an angelic Chanel gown adorned with beaded embellishments and a billowing feathered cape.
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