In Pictures: Fashion A-listers attend garden-themed Met Gala

NEW YORK: Zendaya wore a dark blue gown adorned with grape clusters and Lana Del Rey donned a dramatic headpiece with tree branches, two of the eye-catching looks at this year’s garden-themed Met Gala.

Stars were told to dress in “Garden of Time” attire for the invite-only event, known for its A-list celebrities and extravagant outfits. Attendees walked a white and green carpet surrounded by lush foliage and white flowers up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Film and TV star Zendaya, a host of this year’s event, sported heavy eyeliner and a blue lamé and organza bias-cut dress worn over a duchess satin corset.

Designed by John Galliano, the gown featured clusters of grapes on a hip and arm, a large ruffle on one side and a blue hummingbird on a shoulder. Zendaya later changed into a black Givenchy gown and large floral Alexander McQueen hat.

Del Rey, the Grammy-nominated singer, stood out in a beige, corseted Alexander McQueen gown and a headpiece with natural hawthorn branches. The branches were draped with sheer tulle that fell below her face.

A high-profile annual event, the Met Gala is a benefit for the New York museum and marks the opening of its Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit.

This year’s exhibit, called “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” will feature rare items that have been dormant in the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, including designs so fragile that they will be displayed only through animation and projections.

Jennifer Lopez, another Met Gala host, wore a beaded, see-through Schiaparelli gown and a butterfly-shaped necklace. Lopez went with Tiffany & Co. diamonds, including a stunning bird motif necklace with a diamond of over 20 carats at its center.

Singer Rita Ora arrived in strings of long, colorful beads that swung as she walked and revealed a skintight, nude-colored bodysuit underneath. She was accompanied by her husband, film director Taika Waititi.

Many attendees chose a floral look. Queen Latifah sported a black dress and jacket with large, orange bird of paradise accents. Demi Moore wore a black structured gown made out of vintage wallpaper that featured pink and white flowers.

Ariana Grande sparkled in an ivory gown with a mother-of-pearl bodice and posed with Cynthia Erivo, her co-star in an upcoming film adaptation of Broadway musical “Wicked.” Erivo wore a two-piece black outfit covered in pink petals.

Among the men, musician Lil Nas X donned an ivory suit and jacket with 56,000 hand-placed Swarovski crystals arranged in large, gleaming swaths. The eight members of K-Pop boy band Stray Kids also walked the carpet, wearing custom Tommy Hilfiger suits in the designer’s trademark red, white and blue palette.

Usher held a single red rose in a dark and eery black suit and cape, a wide-brim black hat on his head and a black brooch on one lapel. The look was Alexander McQueen by Seán McGirr.

Gigi Hadid brought the drama in a look by the drama king himself, Thom Browne. Her white gown was adorned with 2.8 million microbeads with yellow flowers and green thorns.

Serena Williams took metallic gold to another level in a shining one-shoulder statement look. Ariana Grande was all Glinda the Good Witch, making the most of her pale-colored strapless Loewe look with 3D eyelashes at the side of each eye.

Cardi B struck a pose or three in a statement black gown with a huge tulle train by Windowsen. She paired the look with green jewels and a high black turban. She needed multiple helpers to move her dress up the stairs.

Penelope Cruz, meanwhile, went goth in black by Chanel. It had a bustier top and a Sleeping Beauty-like off-shoulder silhouette Kendall Jenner wore a Givenchy look done by Alexander McQueen in 1999.

Kendall’s sister, Kylie Jenner, was more Old Hollywood than storybook in a chic Oscar de la Renta low-cut strapless look, a white bloom in her clicked-back updo and a train behind.

Dua Lipa was a whole different kind of princess. She went full rock ‘n’ roll in black by Marc Jacobs, who accompanied her. Her lace and feather look was slow slung at the hip with a deep plunge at the neck.

Demi Moore stuck to the garden in a Harris Reed look with huge wings encircled by arrows and hand-painted with pink and white blooms.

Diesel broke through on the gala carpet on Dove Cameron. It was about as unlike Diesel as it gets, also going for the garden. The look had sleeves attached to her train.

Nicki Minaj also went out of the box in a bright metallic yellow dress with large flowers dangling and bobbing as she moved.

Chinese-owned TikTok, which faces a U.S. ban unless its owners sell the social media app to allay security concerns, was among the sponsors of the event. TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew was named an honorary co-chair of the gala and was expected to mingle with guests.

Outside the event, pro-Palestinian protesters on Madison Avenue tried to draw attention to the Gaza war. Police made some arrests to contain the protests.