Nicole Kidman Doesn’t Go to the Met Gala Often—But When She Does, She Nails It
Nicole Kidman may not be the most regular of Met Gala attendees (she’s only gone three times...so far), but she definitely may be one of the most notable. In fact, of the three occasions she’s walked the Met carpet, she not only cohosted the event twice, but was dressed by her fellow cohosts, Karl Lagerfeld and Tom Ford (the latter, during his Gucci era). She always manages to dress to the theme without coming off like a carnival sideshow act grasping for attention. Why would she? She’s Nicole Kidman. Here, a deep dive into all of Kidman’s Met Gala looks.
2023: “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”
While Kidman hasn’t shown up to the Met Gala in several years, she has to RSVP “Yes” to the year that celebrated Karl Lagerfeld. As anyone with a television in the early ‘00s remembers, Kidman was the face of Chanel No. 5 and starred in a lavish commercial for the fragrance.
Kidman certainly remembered. She reware one of the dresses from that very commercial.
The night also gave her a chance to reunite with Baz Luhrmann who not only directed that Chanel ad, but also Moulin Rouge.
2016: “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology”
For her most recent appearance, Nicole Kidman wore an Alexander McQueen gown that was quite literally celestial. Creative director Sarah Burton customized the dress based on a sheer version that was shown during the brand’s fall 2016 runway show.
The gown’s elaborate cape added to the drama without resembling a costume. Altogether, the gown drew comparisons to the classic Art Deco-era work of the Russian-French artist and designer Erté.
2016 also marked the first year Kidman attended the Met Gala with a date from her personal romantic life. She brought husband Keith Urban, who let his wife take all the attention by opting for a classic white-tie tuxedo.
2005: “The House of Chanel”
Karl Lagerfeld famously would never consent to a retrospective of his own career during his lifetime, but he did cohost alongside Kidman in 2005 for an exhibition and gala dedicated to the history of the House of Chanel. Kidman, of course, was then the face of the brand’s iconic fragrance, Chanel No. 5. And naturally, she showed up in Chanel Haute Couture.
The gown came with a few hidden tricks: it had a dramatic leg slit and was lined in silver. If you appreciate no other detail, please take note of the fact that the silver lining matches Lagerfeld’s fingerless gloves.
Kidman truly leaned into proper hosting duties. Here, she, Lagerfeld, and Wintour greet Michael Kors and his date for the evening, Jessica Simpson.
2003: “Goddess: The Classical Mode”
Kidman was not only one of the earliest A-listers to spot Tom Ford’s talent at Gucci, but she cohosted the 2003 event alongside him. That year was a tribute to “Goddesses,” and Kidman certainly dressed like one in a gown that was a perfect exemplification of Ford’s knack for sophisticated sex appeal. Kidman was all covered up, but the draping of the dress recalled bosom-baring classical sculptures.
Long before the “Jason Derulo has fallen down the stairs at the Met Gala” meme existed, Adrian Brody actually did take a tumble at the Met. Don’t worry, everything was fine—but it does give us a nice look at the back of Kidman’s gown.
Once again, she was on her best hosting manors alongside Wintour, Ford, and Brody. For the record, though they stuck close together that night, Kidman and Brody never dated. However, they had both just won their Oscars a few months before.
Kidman was in good company that night. Ford also dressed another goddess, Diana Ross.
Naturally, she stopped to put in a bit of face time with the famed gossip columnist Liz Smith. This was back when the fashion industry actually had proper gossip columnists who covered events, and not anonymous online submission accounts.
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