Doja Cat and Jared Leto Are the Cat’s Meow at the 2023 Met Gala

At Monday’s Met Gala, Doja Cat wowed and meowed as she – appropriately – channeled Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved pet cat Choupette. And Jared Leto even took cat fashion a step further and showed up in a full cat suit.

Doja Cat is known for her bold looks; At Couture Fashion Week in Paris earlier this year, the singer and rapper made headlines with her head-to-toe red body paint look and 30,000 red Swarovski crystals (applied by makeup artist Pat McGrath and her team) for the Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring/Summer Show 2023. And Leto – who Nick Jonas said “came like a furry” – is also known for his experimental style.

During the Fashion livestream, Doja Cat told host LaLa Anthony that her dress is Oscar de la Renta, and that her friend Melina did her cat prosthetics and Saccia Livingston did her nails (read: claws). “This is my first Met,” Doja Cat said, revealing that even though it was her first trip, she wasn’t nervous. “It’s really not bad. Normally it’s pretty bad. I feel nice, I feel relaxed here. I don’t know – maybe it’s the beige one. I feel very calm, it is very nice.” The artist added that she hopes to have a good chat tonight, before meowing to close the interview.

Ahead of the 2023 Met Gala, there was speculation whether Lagerfeld’s blue-cream tortie Burmese cat Choupette would show up herself, but the closest thing to a full-fledged cat was Leto in his furry suit. Another feline look hit the red carpet thanks to Lil Nas X donning a jeweled mask with feline whiskers. And Janelle Monáe accessorized with a white cat carrier.

The dress code simply reads “In honor of Karl”, leaving it largely to the interpretation of the celebrities in attendance – and their stylists.

Held as an annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Met Gala has been hosted and chaired by Anna Wintour since 1995. Coinciding with the unveiling of the museum’s annual fashion exhibition, this year’s theme is Karl Lagerfeld. Titled Karl Lagerfeld: a line of beautyhonoring the life and storied career of the late designer who died on February 19, 2019, the collection features more than 150 pieces, including sketches.

The Met Gala program features Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa and Fashion‘s Wintour as co-chairs of the evening.

Check out the best looks from the 2023 Met Gala red carpet here.