As the biggest fashion event of the year, the Met Gala is made for talking points. 

Here are some of the celebrities that sent social media into overdrive at this year’s “Garden Of Time” themed fundraiser in New York.

Singer carried up steps in sand dress

The Met steps make for a grand entrance to the gala – but they also present a tricky obstacle for some of the more delicate costumes.

Grammy-winning singer Tyla had to be lifted up the stairs in her sand-adorned Balmain gown.

She accessorised it with a sand-filled hourglass instead of a handbag – which one of her entourage carried as she was carefully lifted from one step to the next.

Asked by E!’s team on the red carpet whether she’d be able to sit down during the event, Tyla responded: “Who cares, guys, I’m cute!”

The dress that took 13,500 hours to make

To call some of the Met Gala creations “dresses” is to do them a disservice – as model Gigi Hadid emphasised to Vogue when she described the “sculpture” made for her by fashion designer Thom Browne.

She was helped up the Met steps by five members of staff and said it took that long “because I’m literally wearing a sculpture”.

The embellished gown adorned with yellow flowers and green leaves took a team of more than 70 people over 13,500 hours to make entirely by hand.

AI photo of Katy Perry fools social media – and her mum

A photo of Katy Perry in a forest-themed flowered gown on the Met Gala steps went viral on social media as the stars were arriving.

The only thing was – she wasn’t there.

The photo was created with artificial intelligence, Perry confirmed in a post on Instagram, in which she revealed her mother had also been duped.

The singer shared a screenshot of a text from her mum who had written: “What a gorgeous gown, you look like the Rose Parade, you are your own float.”

“Lol mom, the AI got you too, BEWARE!” Perry replied, captioning the post: “Couldn’t make it to the Met, had to work.”

Ed Sheeran channels High School Musical?

Ed Sheeran arrived at the Met in a pale blue suit complete with a cummerbund and undone rhinestone-encrusted bow tie.

Whether the outfit screams Dumb And Dumber or High School Musical is probably a clear indicator of what decade you were born in – but neither comparison is flattering.

The powder blue ensemble bore a striking resemblance to the suit Zac Efron’s High School Musical character Troy Bolton wears to prom, and Dumb And Dumber character Harry Dunne.

The annual pregnancy announcement

A pregnancy announcement has become a bit of a tradition at fashion’s biggest night of the year.

This year it was the turn of British model Adwoa Aboah who bared her baby bump for the first time in a red skirt and ruffled top.

At last year’s Met Gala, tennis star Serena Williams and supermodel Karlie Kloss both announced they were pregnant.

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Kim Kardashian’s corset and cardigan look

Kim Kardashian’s waist was a talking point on social media, so tightly was it cinched in by her corseted custom Maison Margiela dress.

Her hourglass figure is no surprise – famously shown off before at the Met Gala in Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy birthday Mr President” dress – but people online questioned how she was managing to breathe.

Pairing the metallic dress with a knitted, cropped cardigan also raised eyebrows among social media’s fashion critics.

Pro-Palestinian protesters kept away from gala

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated in New York on Monday night but were kept away from the Met by barricades and a heavy police presence.

Police said they made multiple arrests but there were no reports of injuries.

Notable absences

A number of celebrities were absent from the green and white carpet.

One of the most notable was Rihanna, who had been dropping hints about her Met Gala outfit in recent days.

Barbie star Margot Robbie and Oppenheimer actor Cillian Murphy, who were both rumoured to have been invited, didn’t make it either.

Met regulars Anne Hathaway and Blake Lively were absent and singer Olivia Rodrigo missed out after attending three years in a row – although that was probably explained by her Glasgow tour dates.

Those hoping to see Taylor Swift and Beyonce on the iconic steps were also disappointed.

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