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While all eyes were focused on the sartorial tributes to late-fashion titan Karl Lagerfeld at the 2023 Met Gala, GRAZIA’s editors turned their attention to how the industry’s style savants embody and paid homage to Lagerfeld’s legacy through their beauty notes.
With the theme being ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty’, the dress code of this year’s star-studded soirée was a poignant moment to gallantly personify Lagerfeld’s life and work through every facet of their ensemble and bring a touch of Karl with their hair and makeup choices.
Throughout Lagerfeld’s illustrious career, his beauty looks on the runway fell into either one or two camps: effortless elegance like his classic dainty, doe eye beats or modishly avant-grade, particularly when he gravitated towards a graphic and smokey eye look.
It’s this aesthetic that was seen most on the 2023 Met Gala red carpet. A line of beauty, indeed.
Of course, when we think of Lagerfeld’s beauty legacy, we can’t help but recall his own signature powder-white hair, which we never spotted out from his quintessential low ponytail.
Whether the Met Gala’s illustrious A-listers in attendance opted to replicate his signature style, or the beauty looks he forged on the runway, it was an unmissable display of beauty and craft.
Below, the best beauty looks at the 2023 Met Gala.
Elle Fanning, who became one of Lagerfeld’s muses at only age 13, kept in theme with Chanel’s minimalist skin yet bold eye aesthetic at the 2023 Met Gala. Her charcoal-rimmed eyes may make her Twiggy’s doppelgänger, but it’s the addition of a daisy flower crown—which Fanning wore in Chanel’s The Little Black Jacket book—that is the look’s pièce de résistance. As Fanning explained, Lagerfeld styled her in a daisy flower crown for her feature in the book, so she paid tribute to his legacy by reprising it for this year’s Met.
For Suki Waterhouse’s second Met Gala appearance—the first with boyfriend Robert Pattinson—the Daisy Jones & The Six star donned a vintage Fendi dress designed by Lagerfeld, completing the embroidered floral ensemble with a wash of pastel eyeshadow and lightly bleached eyebrows.
Chanel ambassador, Marion Cotillard, departed from her signature flowing brunette locks for this year’s Met Gala. Instead, the French actress unveiled an edgy blunt bowl cut that was died into a pastel pink hue. As Lagerfeld once said, “Think pink, but don’t wear it.”
Kendall Jenner’s 2023 Met Gala look is straight out of the Karl Lagerfeld playbook, with her embroidered Marc Jacobs ensemble a take on the late designer’s penchant for midnight-hued sequins. And what better way to complete the look than by referencing Lagerfeld’s signature ponytail?
Keeping things simple in the makeup department, actress Jessica Chastain debuted a bold dramatic hair transformation with her fresh blonde locks. Given Chastain accessorised her Gucci ensemble with a pair of aviator-esque frames (Karl’s favourite), we can’t help but wonder if this beachy-blonde shade is a warmer take on Lagerfeld’s silver hue.
For American model Grace Elizebeth, her second Met Gala appearance featured subtle nods to Lagerfeld’s use of pastels and pearls with her glistening makeup. It’s Euphoria makeup meets haute couture and it’s the perfect compliment to her stunning Christopher John Rogers gown.
Things we did not expect from the 2023 Met Gala: Florence Pugh unveiling a bold buzz cut. A Met Gala debut is always the moment to leave your mark, and Pugh’s number two shave is the perfect statement, just in case her Valentino feather headpiece wasn’t saying enough.
Emma Chamberlain has become a Met Gala mainstay, with all three of her red carpet appearances offering something different and new from the last. This year, she swapped her blunt platinum blonde bob for long brunette waves and complimented her Miu Miu two-piece-esque dress with a bold periwinkle eye makeup moment.
Emily Ratajkowski’s Audrey Hepburn-inspired bangs may not be directly correlated to Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy, but her gargantuan black bow is a Chanel motif that Lagerfeld never shied away from including in his collections at the Maison. We wouldn’t be surprised if this exact hair and makeup look will be seen in Virginie Viard’s next show for the house.
Unsurprisingly, the beauty winner of the 2023 Met Gala goes to Doja Cat, purely for her dedication alone. Referencing Lagerfeld’s pampered cat and companion, Choupette, Doja Cat’s (yes, we see where she’s going) feline prosthetics are bound to go down in Met Gala history.
For more rolling coverage of the 2023 Met Gala, see below:
- All The Best Looks From The 2023 Met Gala
- Dua Lipa Ushers In Her Met Gala Co-Chair Era In A Chanel Vintage Bridal Look From 1992
- Emily Ratajkowski Wears a Plunging Princess Gown at the 2023 Met Gala Red Carpet
- Dua Lipa, Michaela Cole And Penélope Cruz Are Hosting The 2023 Met Gala
- The Most Memorable Chanel Looks Ever Worn to the Met Gala
- Praise Be: Karl Lagerfeld’s Iconic Cat, Choupette, Is Confirmed To Be Attending The 2023 Met Gala
- How To Lagerfeld Your Look Ahead Of The Met Gala
- If It Was A Competition, Rihanna Just Took Home First Place For Pre-Met Gala Dressing In Vintage Chanel From 1994
- Blake Lively Will Be Watching The 2023 Met Gala From Home (Like The Rest Of Us)
