Fans of Karl Lagerfeld’s famous feline, Choupette, were disappointed to learn that she would not be attending the Met Gala that paid tribute to her late owner. (She announced the news that she would remain home in Paris on her personal Instagram account, which has 181,000 followers.) But several celebrities channeled her glamour in their ensembles — including, in one case, prosthetics.
Singer Doja Cat, appropriately, wore an Oscar de la Renta beaded white gown with cat ears on its hood. Adding to the look: a realistic cat nose and a claw-shaped manicure.
Actress and comedian Chloe Fineman offered a more subtle take with a small, pink, bejeweled cat purse.
The decidedly not subtle Jared Leto appeared on the red carpet in a giant, furry cat costume that was the spitting image of the blue-eyed Choupette, if much larger, leading a confused-looking Lizzo to mouth to the cameras, “Who is this?” (He eventually took off the cat head for a big reveal.)
And then there was rapper Lil Nas X. His beaded whiskers were the only obvious homage in his sparkly silver body-painted look, but he also responded to reporters’ questions only with “Meow.”
Choupette, a white Birman who amassed a huge fan base during her long life with Lagerfeld — and, clearly, remains popular after his death in 2019 — has appeared in fashion magazines and is said to have two private maids and an iPad, not to mention a net worth of $13 million.
“Many people invited me to walk the red carpet of the #METGALA2023 in tribute to Daddy, but we preferred to stay peacefully & cozy at home,” read a post on Choupette’s official Instagram page, which also features photos of the feline riding on private jets, eating out of designer dishes and using a jade roller.
