Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld's beloved cat, did not attend the Met Gala, despite the event's theme honouring her late owner. However, a few attendees made certain that Choupette was never forgotten. Doja Cat and Jared Leto both channelled the blue cream Birman for their Met Gala looks, transforming into Choupette in a camp, couture, and cat mix.
DOJA CAT WOWED OSCAR DE LA RENTA GOWN WITH CAT EARS:
The Grammy winner wore a silvery hooded Oscar de la Renta gown with cat ears, feline facial prosthetics, and sharpened talons on her nails. During her red carpet live stream interview with La La Anthony, she punctuated her sentences with a few "meows."
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UNRECOGNISABLE AT FIRST SIGHT: JARED LETO 'CAME AS A FURRY':
Leto arrived minutes later, completely disguised in a cat costume. (On the Vogue live stream, Nick Jonas said that Leto "came as a furry.") He was dressed as Choupette, the night's unofficial mascot, with white fuzzy paws and a massive cat head that appeared to have Choupette's striking blue eyes. After anonymously giving interviews in broken French, Leto removed the costume head to reveal himself, and later swapped the literal catsuit for a monochromatic look with a studded cape.
Other guests paid tribute to Choupette in more subtle ways: Janelle Monae, who walked the carpet wearing layers of Thom Browne, carried a Choupette-shaped handbag in the style of Browne's signature Hector bag. "SNL" star Chloe Fineman accessorised her gown with a Judith Leiber Choupette-shaped purse in bedazzled pink.
Choupette, 11, was widely expected to attend this year's event given her importance to Lagerfeld, who died in 2019. But, rather than hogging the spotlight at the Met, she chose to "stay peacefully and cosy at home," read a post on Choupette's official Instagram account. "We pay tribute to my Papa every day since his parting and we are very moved to see one more day dedicated to him," it added further.