Most Hollywood red carpets are exhausting and tedious. But on Monday night, the Met Gala proved some of the biggest stars on the planet weren’t afraid to take some severe — and silly — fashion risks in the name of having fun. The theme for this year’s event, hosted by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, was “camp,” which to be fair, most celebrities who attended the charity dinner interpreted broadly. But that didn’t really matter. At what other industry event (certainly not the Oscars or the Golden Globes) could you see, in a single evening, Jared Leto holding his own prosthetic severed head, Billy Porter sprouting golden wings, Katy Perry wearing a chandelier from “Beauty and the Beast” and Zendaya donning a Cinderella dress that glowed in the dark? It was like Disneyland’s Main Street Electrical Parade had invaded the pages of Vogue. And, for the most part, the sights on display for three hours on a pink carpet on Manhattan’s Upper East Side were thrilling, sometimes horrifying, but never boring. Here are the biggest secrets and surprises from this year’s event. 1. Lady Gaga Won the Met with An Interpretative Dance and Four Costume Changes Usually, the best looks at the gala arrive late into the evening, but not this year. No sooner had Wintour stepped off the carpet at around 5:30 p.m., that the streets of Manhattan erupted with cheers. One day soon, Twitter will dissect the deeper meaning behind Gaga’s 20 minutes of choreography. But standing on the sidelines of the Met, it was like being at a concert, as Gaga peeled off one magnificent gown (pink) for another (black) for a third (back to pink) with a plastic telephone as her prop, before crawling up and down the steps of the museum in a bra and fishnet stockings. Was it camp? Who knows, but it was a glorious performance. Even Wintour, who usually quickly disappears inside, couldn’t resist lurking at the top of the steps for the entire charade. When asked by a journalist how anyone else could compete, she yelled back: “They can’t!” 2. The Award for Biggest Entourage Goes to … Cardi B required the help of eight different people to carry her blood-red dress. 3. What Happens If You Don’t Speak Camp? Celine Dion (who stunned in a gown from the closet of “Fosse/Verdon”) admitted that she initially thought the theme referred to camping. And indeed, not everybody was in on the joke. A few celebrities looked like they were wearing leftover frocks from the People’s Choice Awards. Frank Ocean wore a plain Prada poncho as he (in a campy gesture) took photos of the photographers shooting pictures of him. Mayor Michael Bloomberg also went with a safe, classic tuxedo. “You have to work with what God gave us,” he said, about not embracing a splashier look. 4. Kris Jenner is a Devoted Mom Jenner showed up early on the carpet, with the first batch of celebrities. But when Hollywood’s favorite reality TV mom got to the top of the stairs, she waited and waited … and waited. More than an hour went by, as she made small talk with random designers and even welcomed Michael B. Jordan with a kiss on the cheek. Finally, it became clear what she looking for. As soon as Kim Kardashian made her way up the Met staircase, Jenner took out her phone and started recording. 5. Keeping Up With the Kardashian-Wests Remember when it was controversial for the fashionistas to celebrate America’s No. 1 reality TV family? Those days are history. In fact, the Kardashians — Kim (in brown latex), Kendall Jenner (orange feathers) and Kylie (a purple dress with a boa) — treated the Met Gala like it was their own Cannes Film Festival red carpet. After the three daughters made it to the top, joined by mom Kris (and with Kayne by Kim’s side), they turned around and walked down the stairs and then walked back up them as a family. No movie star or singer could compete. 6. The One Thing Katy Perry Wouldn’t Say “I’m retiring the word ‘lit’ tonight,” the singer confessed, as she slowly wobbled up the carpet in a gown that resembled a chandelier, fitted with lightbulbs. 7. An Entrance Suited for Cleopatra Six shirtless men carried Billy Porter on a caravan to the entrance of the Met. Once he arrived, he spun his arms to reveal a pair of golden wings attached to his costume. He said that it took him five hours to get dressed. 8. Is Fashion Political? Lena Waithe wore a suit with the words “Black Drag Queens Invented Camp,” written on the back. It was a pointed political reminder that the night owed its inspiration to a group of people that somehow weren’t included on the list of invitations. 9. Couples That Stayed Close Jennifer Lopez clutched A-Rod’s hand as she made her way up the stairs. Kanye West lovingly kept a hand on Kim’s back as she talked to press. Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra did a few interviews together. And fresh from a secret wedding ceremony in Morocco last week, Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre beamed as they accepted congratulations. 10. All Hail, Queen Nicki Being the last to arrive at the Met Gala is always a power play move. Just ask Madonna. This year, that honor went to Nicki Minaj. At around 9 p.m., the Queen Bee rapper was still slowly chatting with reporters as the carpet closed down, proving — in case you had any doubts — that she had the stamina to outlast everyone else on New York’s biggest night for fashion. Full Pink Carpet Gallery from the 2019 Met Gala Here.<doc-sep>It’s fashion’s biggest night—and we’re tracking all the looks. Scroll through for our faves from this year’s Met Gala. The first Monday in May has arrived and, on top of being Baby Sussex’s birthday, it’s also the Met Gala! This year’s exhibition—Camp: Notes on Fashion—has inspired even more over-the-top looks than years past with its mandate for all things kitschy, glittery and, well, extra. The theme is based on a 1964 Susan Sontag essay wherein the cultural critic defined camp as placing everything in quotation marks: “It’s not a lamp, but a ‘lamp’; not a woman, but a ‘woman’.” That playfulness came to life on the red carpet tonight by way of overdrawn, drag-inspired makeup, enormous bows and highlighter hues. Although Met Gala faves like Rihanna and Ariana Grande were notably absent at this year’s event, there was still plenty of fashion and celebrity eye candy, and we caught it all here. Scroll through for our fave looks from the Met Gala red carpet—here’s hoping they inspire a little cheekiness in your own sartorial choices this week!<doc-sep>David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock Over the course of the evening, the team will provide audiences with real-time updates from and about the Met Gala's star-studded guest list. And since the network is expanding its coverage this year, viewers are in for more content than ever before. Pre-show commentary? Check. Enthusiastic style analysis? You got it. An insiders' peek at the red carpet itself? Of course! E! News correspondent Zuri Hall will be on the ground reporting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the Costume Institute's annual fundraising event turned artistic runway show is expected to draw an impressive crowd, from co-chairs Lady Gaga, Serena Williams and Harry Styles to recently elected committee members Lupita Nyong'o, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and more. And it's safe to say they'll be dressed to the nines. This year's Met Gala theme—Camp: Notes on Fashion—promises creativity, extravagance and edge. So, if you're dying to see how celebs like Kerry Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Chadwick Boseman and Zendaya end up incorporating the "camp" theme into their respective outfits, stick with us! In addition to the special LRC show, E! Stream: The Met Gala will return with The Rundown host Erin Lim and Daily Pop co-host Justin Sylvester, as well as actor and pop culture personality Frankie Grande. Fans can head over to @ENews' Twitter, the E! News app and eonline.com starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT for their in-depth look at the evening's red carpet ensembles and exclusive behind-the-scenes intel.<doc-sep>
E! will serve up four hours of fashion coverage with “Live From the Red Carpet” at the 71st annual Met Gala on May 6. Live TV coverage begins at 5 p.m. ET. “Met Gala is one of the most anticipated nights of the year when it comes to fashion and celebrity, and we are thrilled to bring our audience more coverage than ever before with ‘Live From the Red Carpet: The 2019 Met Gala’ expanding to four hours,” said Jen Neal, executive vice president, marketing and executive producer, Live Events, E! “This year’s theme of ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’ is certain to deliver myriad unforgettable, avant-garde looks, and our red carpet team will once again deliver every moment with insights, commentary and expertise in a way that only E! can.” The telecast will be broadcast from 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and will feature a fashion panel led by “E! News” cohost Giuliana Rancic; celebrity fashion stylist Brad Goreski; “E! News” style correspondent Zanna Roberts Rassi, and Elaine Welteroth, former editor in chief of Teen Vogue and judge on Bravo’s “Project Runway.” “E! News” correspondent Zuri Hall will be stationed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to talk to the celebrities in fashion and entertainment attending, including co-chairs Lady Gaga, Serena Williams and Harry Styles. Others expected to attend include Blake Lively, Cardi B, Emma Stone, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Lupita Nyong’o, Selena Gomez, Zendaya and the usual slew of designers, from Riccardo Tisci to Tom Ford, Michael Kors to Marc Jacobs. As part of the network’s multiplatform coverage, “E! Stream the Red Carpet: Met Gala,” returns with “The Rundown” host Erin Lim, “Daily Pop” cohost Justin Sylvester, and actor and pop culture personality Frankie Grande. They are expected to provide insights on Met Gala red carpet fashion on @ENews’ Twitter, the “E!” News” app and eonline.com, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Maybelline New York will provide a beauty tutorial to highlight the red carpet trends. On May 7 at 7 p.m., “E! News” cohosts Rancic and Jason Kennedy will continue the coverage with additional fashion moments and behind-the-scenes action with the stars as they get ready to walk the steps. “E! News” plans to exclusively get ready with stars such as Kris Jenner, Nina Dobrev and Winnie Harlow, and viewers will get tips on how to get Kardashian’s Met Gala look with her hairstylist Chris Appleton.