A-Listers Take 'Camp' Theme To The Extreme At Met Gala
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The 71st annual Met Gala got off to a wild start on Monday, thanks to Lady Gaga, who put on quite the show during her arrival.
Host Anna Wintour wanted guests to take fashion risks and they did not disappoint. Gaga made an entrance that was really more like a performance. Art was on display as the A-list stars made their way up the pink carpet.
"I think it's probably the most spectacular fashion event in the world," designer Vera Wang told CBS2's Jessica Layton.
PHOTOS: 2019 Met Gala Arrivals
How do you top over the top? One look at Gaga told the story. She was one of the co-chairs of the Met Gala this year and wow'd everyone, showing off four different outfits.
Serena Williams followed and pulled off tennis ball yellow sneakers on a red carpet. They may have been the most extravagant costumes -- not just gowns but costumes -- you've ever seen. But some of the celebs were reportedly freaking out over how to dress for the theme, which was "Camp: Notes on Fashion."
"Exuberant, playful and outrageous. Camp's aesthetic has had a profound influence on both high art and on public culture. As you will see today, more than any art form, fashion embraces this sensibility," said Metropolitan Museum of Art director Max Hollein.
Not camp like pitching a tent and roasting marshmallows, but Camp in art means totally out there, the absurdly artificial, too many sequins, too many ruffles, thousands of feathers -- anything completely unexpected. And that's what we saw Monday night. There were about 550 guests. CBS2's Layton spoke to many about what Camp means to them.
"I was confused with Camp. I was ready to bring my little comforter and my pillow and sleep all night," Celine Dion said.
"I had no clue what it meant. I had to look it up. I had to study it and I did," Ava Duvernay said.
Web Extra: Pink Carpet Arrivals At 2019 Met Gala:
"Honestly, I didn't know what it meant. I thought I was going to get to wear some boots, some walking shorts and a t-shirt," Tiffany Haddish added.
"It's the perfect theme for me because I've always been extra. Camp means being extra," Billy Porter said.
"I'm a theater kid from London. This is a dream for me," James Corden said.
So what does it mean to the world's greatest designers?
"Everything and everything!" Tommy Hilfiger said.
Web Extra: Sophia Chabbott Of 'Women's Wear Daily' on the 2019 Met Gala:
Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian turned heads in a look they always pull off flawlessly.
"I'm with Tommy and I just let him do his thing and he imagined this fabulous Tommy Hilfiger opera coat," Jenner said.
Rapper Cardi B needed the help of seven people just to get up the stairs. Zendaya dressed as Cinderella, even leaving behind her glass slipper in a true Disney moment. It was a crown made of 10,000 crystals.
Web Extra: Erika Allen Of "The Cut" on the 2019 Met Gala:
The Met Gala is an exclusive party with a hefty price tag to attend. Tickets go for $35,000 apiece, with all the money going to the Costume Institute.
This season's exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art featured about 250 items pulled from a massive storage system.