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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: (L-R) Charlotte Casiraghi, Kristen Stewart, Sofia Coppola and Marion Cotillard attend The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)

From Karl Lagerfeld’s first designs as Pierre Balmain’s assistant to his magnum opus Chanel Fall/Winter 2019 collection, fashion was besotted with him.

It was a mutual attraction and one that has cultivated in Lagerfeld’s legacy being honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Spring 2023 exhibition: “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”

But what you won’t see preserved behind museum glass in the exhibition is Lagerfeld’s longstanding relationships with his muses — the prolific women who inspired and embodied his collections whether that be through their innate French je ne sais quoi or “It girl” statuses.

Indeed, his eponymous “choupettes” — the pet name he reserved for only the most significant of muses — like Lily-Rose, Kate, Naomi, Vittoria, Devon and Cara are some of Lagerfeld’s most lasting relationships, with his legacy continued by those who knew him best.

So, for the 2023 Met Gala, it was only natural that these legendary women — models or muses, whatever you’d like to call them — to turn up in the best way they knew how to honor their late friend: by flexing their sartorial prowess.

Lagerfeld’s last muse, Margot Robbie, looked to a Lagerfeld-era silk chiffon corseted gown first worn by Cindy Crawford on the runway in 1993. A fitting tribute, especially considering Robbie was the last muse selected by Lagerfeld to be a Chanel house ambassador before his passing.

Naomi Campbell, who cites Lagerfeld commenced her working relationship with the German designer when she was only 16 years old, opted for a pink Chanel saree from 2010.

Elsewhere, Cara Delevingne wore a deconstructed take on Lagerfeld’s signature silhouette, while Elle Fanning donned the daisy chain flower crown that Lagerfeld styled her in at 13 years old in Chanel’s The Little Black Jacket book.

Continuing Lagerfeld’s signature approach to glorifying both mothers and their daughters on the runway, ’90s muse Kate Moss and her daughter Lila Moss opted for vintage Fendi looks, harking back to Lagerfeld’s time at the Italian mansion.

Australian actress Nicole Kidman even reprised a haute couture gown designed specifically by Lagerfeld in 2004 for her Baz Luhrmann directed No. 5 The Film.

While “Model as Muse” was the theme for the 2009 Met Gala, it’s clear that Lagerfeld’s celebrated relationship with his muses makes this a motif worth revisiting. Below, every one of Karl’s muses who made an appearance at the 2023 Met Gala.

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Penélope Cruz  (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
Naomi-Campbell-2023-Met-Gala
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Naomi Campbell  (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
Margot-Robbie-2023-Met-Gala
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Margot Robbie (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
Kristen-Stewart-2023-Met-Gala
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Kristen Stewart (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Kate Moss  (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Gisele Bündchen  (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Karl Lagerfeld)
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Vittoria Ceretti (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
Devon-Aoki-2023-Met-Gala
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Devon Aoki  (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Charlotte-Casiraghi-2023-Met-Gala
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Charlotte Casiraghi (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Cara-Delevingne-2023-Met-Gala
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Cara Delevingne (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Amber-Valetta-2023-Met-Gala
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Amber Valletta  (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: (L-R) Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Karl Lagerfeld)