The annual Met Gala, which raises funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, took place on the first Monday in May, per its regular schedule. The theme for this year’s event was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” honoring the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.
True to theme, many of the looks on this year’s Met Gala red carpet paid homage to the designer, with attendees wearing a lot of tweed, which he continuously reinvented during his time as creative director of Chanel, as well as many black-and-white ensembles, synonymous with Lagerfeld’s personal signature black-and-white suiting looks.
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Lagerfeld was Chanel’s creative director from 1983 until his death in 2019. Under his creative eye, the house became a global multibillion-dollar brand. In addition, Lagerfeld was the creative director of Fendi from 1965 until his passing. He also held two separate stints as creative director of Chloé, the first time from 1963 to 1983, and then from 1992 to 1997. In 1984, Lagerfeld also started his own eponymous label.
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As one of the most-watched nights in fashion, The Met Gala was a big moment for brand exposure, not only for brands Lagerfeld was associated with, but for the other labels that brought his legacy to life.
Unsurprisingly, Chanel was the top earning brand in Media Impact Value, earning $110.7 million in MIV, according to data from Launchmetrics, a software and data insights company with a focus on fashion, beauty and luxury. MIV is a proprietary metric that assigns a true monetary value to marketing strategies across print, online and social media in order to calculate ROI.
Dua Lipa, top placement, $1.4 million in MIV
Of all Chanel’s celebrity placements, Dua Lipa came out on top. The singer, who was one of this year’s Met Gala co-chairs, wore a bridal look from Chanel’s fall 1992 couture collection, which was sported by supermodel Claudia Schiffer during its runway debut. The cream tweed gown was lined with black thread and features fringe at the hem, pockets and a corset-style bodice. She accessorized with a statement necklace by Tiffany & Co., which was crafted with more than 200 carats of diamonds.
Chanel, $110.7 million in MIV
To almost no one’s surprise, Chanel was the top grossing brand for the night in terms of MIV with $110.8 million. There were many vintage Chanel moments from Nicole Kidman, who rewore the dress she wore in the brand’s 2004 No. 5 campaign; Margot Robbie who rewore a dress Cindy Crawford debuted on the runway in 1993 and Blackpink’s Jennie, who wore a dress from 1992. All these dresses were Lagerfeld’s creations. Looks featured Lagerfeld’s signature black-and-white color scheme, and Jennie wore a dress with Chanel’s signature camellia flower at the waist.
Fendi, $32.3 million in MIV
Coming in after Chanel for MIV was the other brand Lagerfeld designed for until his passing, Fendi, with $32.3 million. The brand was worn by Fendi’s current creative director Kim Jones, co-creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi, Delfina Delettrez Fendi, Kate and Lila Moss, Gwendoline Christie, Precious Lee, Suki Waterhouse, Christina Ricci and Song Hye-Kyo.
Gucci, $19.6 million in MIV
Although not a Lagerfeld-affiliated brand, Gucci had a big night at the Met Gala as well with creations paying homage to the designer helping it reach $19.6 million in MIV. Guests wearing Gucci included Serena Williams, A$AP Rocky, Alessandro Borghi, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Halle Bailey, Idris Elba, Sabrina Elba, Jessica Chastain, Julia Garner, Salma Hayek and Sienna Miller. Williams wore a black gown complemented by pearl necklaces, inspired by Chanel’s signature pearls. Chastain wore a black gown with sunglasses, Lagerfeld’s signature accessory.
Schiaparelli, $15.6 million in MIV
Met Gala co-chair Michaela Coel wore a jewel-adorned gown by Schiaparelli to this year’s Met Gala, aiding the brand’s $15.6 million in MIV. She wasn’t the only star opting for Schiaparelli, with Kim Kardashian wearing a custom Schiaparelli haute couture gown dripping in pearls, inspired by Chanel’s pearls that Lagerfeld also reinvented many times. New York theater producer Jordan Roth, styled by Michael Philouze, wore a black Schiaparelli gown with a statement fan accent on the bodice paired with opera gloves.
Tiffany & Co., $9.8 million in MIV
Tiffany & Co. adorning Dua Lipa with their diamond necklace certainly helped its $9.8 million MIV reach during the Met Gala. The brand also accessorized actress Florence Pugh with diamond earrings, rings and bracelets.