Inside the 2026 Met Gala with Chase Sui Wonders

Summary

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The Run-Through with Vogue

Episode: Inside the Met Gala 2026 with Chase Sui Wonders
Date: May 5, 2026
Hosts: Chloe Malle (A), Chioma Nnadi (C)
Guest: Chase Sui Wonders (D)

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Overview

This episode of The Run-Through with Vogue takes listeners directly inside the 2026 Met Gala, offering real-time reflections and behind-the-scenes moments with cover star and actress Chase Sui Wonders. Joining hosts Chloe Malle and Chioma Nnadi, the conversation unfolds both the fashion and the human side of this iconic night: from unexpected celebrity encounters and wardrobe adventures to candid observations about the energy, the themes, and even the chaos of navigating the Met as a first-timer.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Met Gala Feel: Vibe, First Impressions, and Community

• Chase Sui Wonders' First Met Experience

  • Expresses excitement about her first Met Gala, wearing Alexander McQueen, and the surprisingly joyful, communal atmosphere of the event (03:55).
  • "Everyone was so happy. There was a real sense of community, which was really nice, and it was just so fun." – Chase (04:04)

• Backstage, Unseen Moments

  • Hosts and Chase talk about dinner and encountering the "spooky, fabulous" Diana Vreeland doll at the Costume Institute. There's a personal connection: Chase’s aunt, Anna Sui, owned a similar doll, adding a quirky, fashion-history twist (02:26–03:42).

Surreal and Relatable Met Gala Moments

• Celebrity Run-Ins and Mishaps

  • Dance floor rendezvous: Chase reunites with A$AP Rocky while Stevie Nicks performs, but he nearly rips her dress by stepping on her train (05:00–05:07).
  • Emily Blunt helps Chase untangle her dress from a bush, and Tessa Thompson rips off her synthetic nails in the empty bathroom—“so relatable and so beautiful” (05:14–05:41).

• Met Gala “Mysteries” and Traditions

  • Discussion of the mysterious whereabouts of the "Anna doll"—a little-known piece of fashion lore (03:12–03:19).
  • Bathroom etiquette and the legendary “bathroom selfie.” This year, security escalated; only one person seems to be in the bathroom at a time (06:00).

Looks, Designers, and Inspirations

• Chase’s Look: Last-Minute Magic with McQueen

  • The dress came together at the last minute, inspired by Roman murals in Pompeii visited with family (08:13–08:36).
    • "I wanted that sort of Grecian, Roman look—but more modern and art deco." – Chase (08:36)
  • Grapples with making a sheer dress modest ("on the verge of breaking" bodysuit), and close-ups on Tiffany jewels that "cost more than my life." (09:41–10:02)

• Fashion Highlights from Hosts

  • Chloe wears a Colleen Allen dress, inspired by the Flaming June painting, in the sort of "mango color" she loves (16:40–17:14).
  • Chioma’s dress by Steve O. Smith is embellished with bugle beads, only finished the Saturday before the Gala (12:16–12:34).

• Notable Celeb Looks and Stories

  • Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent with a pannier skirt (14:19–14:44).
  • Gracie Abrams in Chanel—effortless and “she could totally go Sinead O’Connor next” (15:01–15:17).
  • Rihanna in Margiela, with input from designer Glenn Martens and her son's adorable approval; Bad Bunny's prosthetic-aged look gets special mention for commitment (11:39–12:07).

• Creative Directorial Nuggets

  • Celebrities like Paloma Elsesser (in a Francesco Rizzo art piece), Madame X, Claire Foy, and Rosie Huntington Whiteley drew heavily and directly from fine art for their looks (15:20–16:35).

More Subtle Gala Dynamics

• Fitting and Preparation Rituals

  • Chase and friend Sarah Pidgeon troubleshoot dresses over FaceTime; Chase recounts her "designer journey" before settling with McQueen (20:25–21:16).
  • Sarah goes with Loewe; mutual support as “Met shamans” with Rachel Sennott (21:34).

• Insider Run of Show—First-Timer’s POV

  • Chase paints a vivid picture of arriving early, walking through the new Conde M. Nas gallery, mingling at the exhibition, train traffic jams en route to dinner, and feeling welcomed and nurtured by Vogue staff (23:31–25:43).
  • "There's some train etiquette—that's a whole nother podcast episode." – Chase (26:02)

• Dining Room Table Dynamics

  • Tablemates included Janelle Monáe (who wore tech-inspired attire), Nicole Phelps, and Cara Delevingne (“a riot…looked like a Secret Service agent” running the livestream) (27:04–27:54).
  • Funny mishap: Chase’s radish flies onto Janelle Monáe mid-dinner, laughingly described as part of the gala chaos (27:26–27:36).

• Keeping Party Energy in Check

  • Hosts reveal how they pace themselves and plan outfit changes for after-parties; GQ party is the squad’s pick for the after-hours (28:31–29:49).

Reflections and Afterthoughts

• Met Gala Magic, Processing, and Letting Loose
  • "I needed this sort of to process the night... I was like flying over the clouds...singing along to Stevie Nicks and now I'm centered." – Chase (31:02)
  • The night is described as a whirlwind, with highlights blurring together; everyone agrees the Met is both dreamlike and grounding (13:56).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chase on the Met Vibe:
  "Is it always, like, the best vibe ever? …Everyone was so happy. There was a real sense of community, which was really nice, and it was just so fun." (04:04)

• On Wardrobe Malfunctions:
  "He [A$AP Rocky] stepped on my train and nearly ripped my dress. No one better." (05:03–05:08)

• Relatable Bathroom Moment:
  "I had a really amazing moment with Tessa Thompson in the bathroom…loudly ripping off her synthetic nails…and it was so relatable and so beautiful." (05:41)

• Quickfire Best Dressed:
  "The Olympic pole vault…that was cool. We have a powerful V... Bad Bunny, look of the night in my personal book." (11:39–11:44)

• High-wire Fashion Anxiety:
  "I wanted that Grecian, Roman sort of look, but then kind of making it even more modern and art deco…My bodysuit…is on the verge of breaking." (08:36–09:41)

• Reflection on the Night:
  "I needed this sort of to process the night…This is my recalibration. I gotta say, I was like flying over the clouds like 30 minutes ago singing along to Stephen Nicks, and now I’m like, centered and ready to go." (31:02)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction, Met Gala Vibes Start: 01:46
• Chase Sui Wonders on her first Met: 03:55–04:13
• Celebrity Encounters and Runway Mishaps: 05:00–06:05
• Chase’s Met Look and Inspiration: 08:00–09:41
• Hosts on Their Outfits & Best Dressed Highlights: 12:16–16:35
• Celebrity Style Stories: 14:12–16:35
• Behind the Scenes & Planning Process: 20:25–21:23
• First Timer’s Experience at the Met Gala: 23:43–25:56
• On-Table Antics: Janelle Monáe, Radish Incident, Cara Delevingne: 27:04–27:54
• Work-Life Balance & After-Party Plans: 28:31–29:49
• Closing Reflections and Processing the Night: 31:02

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Tone and Language

Conversational, candid, and enthusiastic, with a focus on both the spectacle and the more down-to-earth, funny, and human details that make the Met Gala unique. The chemistry between the hosts and Chase feels intimate—like friends swapping stories after a whirlwind night.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a riveting, accessible look at both the fantasy and the reality of fashion’s biggest night, bringing the Met Gala to vivid life through both star-studded glamour and relatable chaos, making it a must-listen for fashion fans and casual listeners alike.

Transcript

[A]

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[A]

This is the run through. I'm Chloe Mao.

[C]

And I'm Choma, Nadi and Joma.

[A]

Sounds super psyched.

[C]

I'm trying to catch up here.

[D]

All trying to catch up. We're all catching our breath and we

[A]

are at the Met Gala. Chase Sui wonders.

[D]

Hi, guys.

[C]

Hi, Chase.

[D]

We're at the Met.

[A]

Chase. My first met with Chase Sui Wonders.

[D]

My first Met period, but also my first met with Chloe Mao.

[A]

What are you wearing?

[D]

I'm wearing Alexander McQueen.

[A]

It is fabulous.

[D]

Thank you so much. Thank you. We have a good color combo going between us.

[A]

It's true.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

It's beautiful.

[A]

Very exciting.

[D]

I will say my lip is bleeding from screaming. Singing along to Stevie Nicks.

[C]

Oh, I love that.

[A]

I swoon. I know.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

So we just came from dinner and now we're on the other side of the museum at the Costume Institute and there is this super spooky, fabulous Diana Vreeland doll in the costume history library. She's like a life size.

[D]

She's behind me right now.

[A]

She's behind you right now.

[D]

And it's amazing.

[A]

She's Very important.

[D]

She's very important.

[C]

Yeah. Because as the story goes, your auntie.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Anna Sui, bought that doll.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

And had that. And there's a great buy.

[A]

A Diana Vreeland doll.

[C]

I don't know. Or maybe she had it made or. I don't know.

[D]

I need to get the full story.

[A]

You need to get the full story. But she might be up right now.

[C]

There's amazing picture of her with Naomi and another supermodel and the doll.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

So apparently there was an Anna doll, but they don't know where it went. No way. I don't know where the Anna doll is.

[D]

Oh, my God. We need to get our hands on that.

[C]

Yeah, we do.

[A]

The Met mystery we need to solve.

[C]

So I hear.

[D]

I've hear she donated it to the museum. How long ago?

[A]

99.

[D]

It kind of. I've seen her. She's shown me various photos of it cropping up in, like, different parts of the Vogue office or, like, I feel like I've seen it from different perspectives

[C]

throughout the years, and now we're here with it. We're gonna have to get a picture with you and the doll.

[A]

Verdura cuffs. It seems great.

[C]

Incredible.

[D]

She's lovely. Full face of makeup.

[A]

Chase, tell me about the highlight of your night. In three anecdotes short.

[D]

There are pithy moments. I just have to say, like, this is my first met, but I am like, is it always, like, the best vibe ever?

[A]

It's a very good vibe.

[D]

It was very joyous. Everyone was so happy. Everyone. There was a real sense of community, which was really nice, and it was just so fun.

[A]

So we were text. I was on a group text around the podcast, and it was like, who has eyes on Chase? Where's Chase? Where's Choma? And then I suddenly looked up, and I see someone with a big bow greeting Rihanna and A$AP Rocky. And I was like, oh, I've got eyes on Chase.

[D]

Excuse me.

[A]

Do you want to set the scene?

[D]

Okay, I'll set the scene. I'll set the scene. I mean, honestly, I can't reveal the scene, but I got to work with A$AP Rocky.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[D]

Yes. Which was.

[C]

This must be in a film capacity.

[D]

Who can say? Who can say?

[C]

Exciting.

[D]

But he was lovely. Like, better than you could ever expect him to be. And so we had a little reunion on the dance floor listening to Stevie Nicks.

[A]

A Stevie Nicks reunion.

[D]

It was incredible.

[A]

With his stab.

[D]

It was incredible. And then he stepped on my drain and nearly ripped my dress.

[A]

No one better.

[D]

Exactly. No one better. I had a couple of those surreal moments. My beau got caught in a tree, caught in some brush, and Emily Blunt kind of wonderfully, generously helped me fish myself out. She freed you? She freed me from. From the bush. From the bush. She freed the bush. And so that was pretty incredible, honestly. I had a really amazing moment with Tessa Thompson in the bathroom. We were the only ones in the bathroom, and I just hear her loudly ripping off her synthetic nails.

[A]

Incredible.

[D]

And just throwing them in the trash. And it was so relatable and so beautiful. And then we kind of, like, centered ourselves in the bathroom. It was like. I feel like the Metcal is all about this big selfie in the bathroom. Every time I went to the bathroom, one person in there.

[A]

Just one powerful person.

[D]

One powerful person. That person being Tessa Thompson.

[C]

There was a lot more security around the bathroom this time, too. I think. There was a lot more.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Historically, there's been some.

[D]

There was one amazing attendee of the bathroom handing out Lifesaver mints.

[A]

Incredible.

[D]

Incredible.

[C]

I know.

[D]

She was all star. She was an all star.

[C]

She was frequent. Who's that?

[D]

Her name was Natalie.

[C]

Oh, I see.

[A]

I see.

[D]

Shout out, Natalie.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

You crushed.

[A]

Excellent.

[D]

She should get a promotion.

[A]

Chase, I want to know if you knew who the performer was going to be.

[D]

I had heard whispers. I had heard of which one?

[A]

Sabrina or Stevie?

[D]

I didn't. I did not hear whispers of Stevie. But when I saw her there, I was like, I bet you it's going to be Stevie. For a while, I thought it was going to be Madonna. And I just worked with Madonna actually recently also.

[A]

Can we talk about that?

[D]

I don't know.

[C]

There's a lot you can't talk about.

[D]

No, I think we can talk. I think we can't. I worked with Madonna. Okay. We'll leave it at that. And she is the coolest person ever. So I knew she wasn't performing, but I did see her look ahead of time.

[C]

She looked pretty good. What was she wearing?

[A]

She was wearing Saint Laurent.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

But the hat was.

[D]

Well, it's inspired by a very niche painting that I'm now forgetting.

[A]

The name of Madonna's dress was this sort of incredible swath of fabric painted, inspired by Leonora Carrington, female surrealist who Madonna has referenced before in her Bedtime Stories music video, which Liam Hess Shout out recognized from a reference in one of her music videos or one of her songs that I now forget which one. But we were very impressed in our Met gala diary chat that Liam immediately recognized that.

[D]

That's very impressive.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Shout out, Liam. That's awesome. And she had seven people around her, seven YSL models around her.

[A]

Right. She knows what she needs.

[D]

She knows. She knows what she needs. And she asks for what she wants, and she gets it.

[C]

Yeah, she really does.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Chase, tell me about your fitting process for this fabulous lilac number.

[D]

Okay. The fitting process was. Honestly, it came together very last minute because I just got back from LA on night shoots filming the studio season two. So this came together maybe Saturday morning.

[C]

Wow.

[D]

It was.

[A]

But did you know you were going to wear McQueen?

[D]

I knew I was going to wear McQueen.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

But this was. Yeah, this was not. This was very last minute.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

And. But I. I just been to Pompeii. Have you guys ever been to Pompeii?

[C]

I've been to Pompei.

[A]

It's not where I saw this going.

[D]

I know. Yeah.

[C]

I'm like. I'm quite wary. I have been to Pompeii, but I'm not sure I'm gonna get through line.

[D]

Okay. The through line is, like, a bit of a stretch, but I feel like. I feel like the question that this theme asks is, like, what is the last time you were struck by a piece of art? And how has that kind of inspired you? And I went to Pompeii with my nephews and my mom, and we saw these wall murals that are these beautiful Roman women in these, like, beautiful gowns, and they're all, like, natural pigments made of gemstone, and they're from, like, 200 BC, and I was just like, those are so cool and feel so modern, and even though they're literally over 2,000 years old. So I wanted. I was, like, working in that color palette, and I wanted that sort of Grecian, Roman sort of look, but then kind of making it even more modern and art deco. And that's kind of where we were landing with my stylist and then tried to figure out a way to not free the nip and make it totally sheer, because it's very sheer. So I'm wearing a bodysuit underneath that is on the verge of breaking.

[A]

And so much great jewelry.

[D]

A lot of great Tiffany jewels. A lot of great.

[A]

They all sort of look like they're about to take off, like winged creatures in some way.

[D]

They're about to fly away. Yeah, they're about to fly away. They're stunning, though, and I. They cost more than my life. I don't know where the security guard is, but he could be anywhere. Ready to rip this off?

[C]

He's ready.

[A]

It's Actually, Diana Freeland.

[D]

It's Diana Freeland right there.

[C]

She's ready when you.

[D]

What are these jewels? Ugh.

[A]

This necklace. I love it so much.

[D]

It's incredible.

[A]

It's Fred Layton. It's this Fred Layton antique daisy necklace. And I went to try it on with my 4 year old and she was so delighted. She kept, like, pawing it. And poor Rebecca. Fred Layton was like, can you not touch the diamonds?

[D]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Alice was like, it's gorgeous. I was like, what are you, Fanny Price? But yes, we're big fans and I'm very excited about it.

[D]

It's incredible. What were your highlights?

[A]

Who did you sit with? Chama?

[C]

I sat with Glenn Martins. Next to Glenn Martins, designer of Margiela. Yeah, the designer of Margiela. And Irina Shayk, who was there with. And I was. Alex Wang was on the other side of me, and she was wearing an incredible piece he'd designed which.

[D]

With the clocks.

[C]

Yes. It was so.

[D]

It was insane.

[C]

A kind of a. It was a. It was a bra top that was made completely of. Of watches. And it was very cool.

[D]

I met her and I asked what. I was like, what time is it? Perfect question.

[C]

I should have.

[D]

And she was like, eyes up here.

[C]

Exactly. And the. The Olympic pole vault, or who I saw in. At the Olympics break the world record, was that. Oh, my God, I'm fine.

[A]

Dip Plante.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

And.

[C]

And his. His. His wonderful wife. So that was cool. We have a powerful V. Yes, yes. So. And Patrick Schwarzenegger was next to me, too.

[D]

He had a cane.

[C]

Huh?

[D]

He had a cane.

[C]

He had a cane.

[D]

You know who else had a cane? Look of the night in my personal book, Bad Bunny.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Do you know that we were seated with him and I was like, hello, sir.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Hello, older sir. And then I realized, and it's spooked me so much, you know, that not only did it take him four and a half hours to put on this prosthetic elderly gentleman makeup, but he also was wearing contacts that made his eyes look more aged and glaucoma. Like.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Like, this was a real commitment to the bid.

[C]

There were a few of those. I mean, Heidi Klum. I did not recognize her.

[A]

Joan, can you tell us about this dress? I love it so much.

[C]

Yes. It is Steve O. Smith, a designer who I adore in London.

[A]

British designer.

[C]

British designer. And he works primarily with kind of this idea of brushstrokes or drawings that are then embellished. Usually he works in black and white.

[A]

The bugle beads.

[C]

Yeah. So it Took many days to embroider. So I only got it embellished. I only got it back on Saturday. Oh, my gosh. I was very relieved. It was quite a last minute, but it was perfect and I love it. Yeah, I've gotten a lot of compliments on this dress, but I guess one of the highlights actually. So Glenn, who is the creative director, Glenn Martins, who is the creative director of Margiela, was very anxious cause he was dressing one woman and that one woman was Rihanna. So he was getting constant updates from his phone. He was showing me pictures of her. And then he told me a very sweet story that a few days ago when they did three fittings with Rihanna and a few, I guess Maybe in the second fitting, Rihanna's son, 3 year old, turned to her and was like, mommy, you just look so pretty. And she just completely melted. So she just looks, if you look in the pictures, looks so happy. And then of course, I had to have my Rihanna moment because I always try. I love her. Yeah. So.

[D]

So obviously, like, you guys are friends

[C]

from, like, interviewed her.

[D]

Gotcha.

[A]

Several times.

[C]

She's like. So I saw her and she introduced me to A$AP Rocky. She was like, this is Choma, who I've been telling you all about. And I was like, almost like, I was like, ah. So it was a very bizarre moment for me.

[D]

She looked beautiful.

[C]

She looked so beautiful.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So that was one of my highlights for the night. But there were many. It's kind of hard to. It always feels. It always feels like a bit of a blur. In the end.

[A]

Do you feel like you've seen enough people in person and in pictures to say some best dressed?

[C]

Yeah, I do, I do. I suppose one of the first people I saw was Zoe Kravitz.

[A]

I loved that pannier skirt.

[C]

That pannier skirt was so beautiful.

[A]

And I had.

[C]

It was Saint Laurent. And she was. She was. She was actually with. She was with Anthony Vaccarello, who is the creative director of Saint Laurent for half of the evening, I think, because they were very. They were very chatty and talking. And I was just like. She was one of the first people I saw and I was blown away. And she looked incredible.

[D]

She also had these arm slits that she could put her hands so she could pose with her hands on her hips.

[A]

She's brilliant.

[D]

They're useless pockets, but they're like perfect for posing.

[C]

Oh, she looks so good. And then I ran into Gracie Abrams, who manages to make the most exquisite Chanel look, just look so easy.

[A]

I know her hair. I was staring at the back of her hair. I was like, you must have to update this, like, get a trim every three weeks. But it looks so good.

[D]

She needs to go full Sinead o' Connor next.

[A]

She does.

[D]

She would rock that. She would rock that.

[C]

She would totally carry it off. She looked incredible, you know.

[D]

Paloma Elcessor.

[C]

Oh, did you see her dress her in person? She showed me her dress a few days ago. So good.

[A]

It was a new creative project of Francisco Rizzo, Francesco Rizzo. And it was always Marnie.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

He used to be at Marnie. And he's now created this. He's calling it Bureau of Imagination. It's a converted warehouse cheese factory in Milan that he's turning into a maker's hub of all types. But he's also creating these. One of a kind pieces of one of a kind clothing that are really pieces of art. And I thought it was so beautiful and hand painted. So many people did hand painted. So many people did direct art inspirations. I mean, I think Madame X wins for most inspos. Erdem. And Claire Foy did it quite directly. Rosie Huntington Whiteley did it very directly. And Lauren Sanchez Bezos did it very directly. Everyone had the Sargent's the strap off, which was the dramatic first way that he painted it. And then it was too scandalous, and so he repainted it with the strap on and then it came off later. But all the scandalous ladies tonight had it off.

[D]

Had it off. You gotta have it off. Yeah. Chloe, tell us about your love this color.

[A]

I was very.

[D]

I love.

[A]

I mean, I'm not alone in this, but. But I love the Frederick Leighton pre Raphaelite painting Flaming June and that sort of mango color of dress in it. And Colleen Allen is a young American designer whose work I really admire. And her color palette is quite similar and has these sort of persimmons and royal eggplants. And so I asked her if she would work with me on something that was sort of Flaming June inspired.

[C]

It's so good.

[D]

It's so stunning.

[C]

It's so stunning.

[D]

It's very evocative of that painting, but, you know, I love it the greatest. Your hair is also.

[C]

Yeah, your hair is perfectly done.

[A]

Thank you.

[D]

It's incredible.

[A]

It was a journey. I had some, like, last minute.

[C]

Had to pull it out, pull it

[A]

back, but I loved. Yeah. More from inside the Met Gala after the break.

[D]

Comprehensive, witty, speculative, critical, insightful, profound, Wide ranging.

[A]

Hopefully doesn't take itself too, too seriously.

[C]

I'm David Remnick, and each week on The New Yorker Radio Hour. My colleagues and I try to make sense of what's happening in this chaotic world.

[D]

I hope you'll join us for the

[C]

New Yorker Radio Hour. Wherever you listen to podcasts.

[A]

The thoughtful, exquisite, just, you know, real.

[D]

Wait, so do you guys pick who the musical guest is?

[C]

No, not us.

[D]

Okay, so how does that work? And how. How early do you guys know?

[A]

I didn't know.

[D]

And how well do you guys keep it? You didn't know until.

[A]

That's how you keep it secret. Asks. And if I actually don't know, then no one. Like the weekend before the Met, everyone's always like, no, really, Just tell me. I hear it's so and so. I hear it so and so. And if I truly don't know, then I can plead ignorance.

[D]

Got you.

[C]

I truly didn't know and nobody was going to tell me.

[D]

You had. Did you have inklings?

[C]

I did. The night of. A few people were saying it was going to be Sabrina Carpenter.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

I also. I know who needs to know. Right? Like, Marlee on our team always writes about the performance. She knows she's connected with Sergio, who's giving her the information. Everyone who needs to have all the pieces are set.

[D]

Gotcha.

[A]

It's a need to know basis for sure. My clearance was not there.

[D]

Absolutely.

[A]

But I am a huge Stevie Nicks fan, so it was a very exciting experience.

[C]

People lost their minds.

[A]

I was really thrilled.

[D]

Is it usually I feel like everyone was on their feet, singing along. Totally.

[A]

Even Bruno Pavloski, CEO of Chanel, Doing a little jig.

[D]

Doing a little J. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

I hadn't seen Beyonce until she got on stage.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

She made an outfit change.

[A]

I know. I just saw a picture. It was like a rib cage.

[C]

Yeah. She wore Olivia, this black male who she's collaborated with for years and years and years, formerly of Balmain, and they have a longstanding personal relationship. So I'm not surprised that she went to him because I think she had been toying with several names. I'd heard several designers say they were potentially working with her. And then she went with Olivier, which I think was really nice. Cause.

[A]

No, it was nice.

[C]

Yeah. Because I think in the. You know, she's talked often about how in the beginning. And her and Tina Knowles have talked often. How about, you know, not many designers wanted to work with her at the beginning of her career. She wasn't well known enough and.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

But Olivier was one of the first, so it's a nice full circle moment for them.

[A]

Chase, I know you're good friends with Sarah Pidgeon.

[C]

Love. So did you guys get a chance to talk about your outfits beforehand?

[D]

Yes, at length. There was a. We've had several FaceTimes. I mean, I've had a whole journey because I was originally. I'm going with. I was going with Vogue and then I was going with Balmain at one point. So I've kind of done, like, I've been a journeyman through the different designers at the Met and finally settled on this. So at one point I like, went to Aralda, this vintage store in la. Have you?

[C]

Oh, yeah. It's a great vintage store. It's amazing. Yeah. And they have the incredible archive pieces.

[D]

Incredible archive pieces. And I was trying out a bunch of stuff there. And anyway, so Sarah has been with me for every step of the way. I've sent her many, many iterations for what my final look could be tonight. And she also. She had her dress made in two different colors for Loewe.

[C]

Who did she go with?

[D]

Loewe. Oh, so she.

[C]

Loewe. Fabulous.

[D]

We've. We've. Yeah, there's been a lot of back and forth. We were on the. We were on facetime with each other till like 2 in the morning last night.

[C]

I think it's good when you have a. A kind of a buddy to go through the process. It's really. Especially when you're doing it your first time.

[D]

No, it was. And I feel like I got shepherded. I had two met shamans, if you will.

[C]

Right.

[D]

Rachel Sennett, who has been before, so is a seasoned vet. And Sarah Pigeon.

[C]

Oh, cool.

[D]

It's pretty. I can't complain.

[C]

Well, there were some other first timers in the room. I saw that Blue Ivy. Did you get a chance to see her?

[D]

No, I didn't know she was here.

[C]

Yeah, she looked really incredible. I think she was wearing Balenciaga. She was wearing this white dress with a matching hooded jacket.

[D]

Love.

[C]

And looked so, so sweet.

[D]

Oh, my gosh. She is so talented.

[C]

She really is.

[D]

I love all those videos where her little sister, I think, is like on stage with Beyonce and is like, trying to do something like throw a tantrum. And Blue Ivy's like, stop, not right now.

[C]

Mom's performing.

[D]

She seems like a real one. And she wears Isabel Marant heeled sneakers, which I also wear all the time.

[A]

Hudson Williams and Connor Story from Heed of Rivalry made their Met debuts. And apparently when Connor took his blazer off and showed off his halternet polka dot Saint Laurent and his large biceps, the paparazzi and Crowds across the street just. It erupted.

[C]

Wow. I mean, that was so sure. The team in the UK and my team were just. That's who they wanted to see. That's all they would ask me. Are those boys going fascinating? Yeah.

[D]

I mean, those guys are so magnetic.

[C]

Yeah. They're very, very hyper popular.

[A]

Cher came for the first time in 11 years in Burberry, which. She looked fabulous.

[D]

Fabulous.

[A]

Jafar Jackson, who plays Michael Jackson in the new movie. Michael came with.

[C]

I thought he did a good job in the movie. He looked.

[A]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm so excited.

[C]

The voice is uncanny.

[A]

He's so charming. And he wore this great Ralph Lauren look. I thought it was very sort of method dressing for his role, but looked super classy. Chase Infinity was her first Met. Two first Met. Chase's two first Met.

[C]

She feels like she's been around, but she hasn't. Right. She's brand new. Oh, she looked incredible in Thom Browne.

[D]

She did look incredible in Tom Brown.

[C]

So talk us through your experience. Did it match up to everything you expected? What's the run of show for someone who hasn't been as a first timer? Walk us through. So what time did you arrive?

[D]

I arrived really early. And I think just to paint the picture, like, I grew up in Detroit and I feel like my vision of New York was always, like, through the Met gala photos. And like, I feel like that was what I just assumed, like, all of New York was like. So I've definitely been building this up and in my mind, but kind of have, like, kept a healthy distance away. Cause I'm like, I want to experience it for the first time fresh when I go. So I didn't. I don't think I, like, had necessarily expectations, like, concretely, but you walk in, it's an incredibly long walk through, and you see the whole exhibit. And that part was really nice, is being able to, like, mingle. I got to talk to, like, Lena Dunham about her book as we're standing in front of this, like, amazing, like, Alexander McQueen, like, beautiful that. That, like, leather for. Originally made for, like, paraplegics. Like, that was incredible. So that part is so awesome to be able to, like, see the exhibit before anyone else with all these people, your fans.

[C]

And now it's a new. It's a new gallery, so we're all seeing it for the first time.

[D]

Oh, my God.

[C]

Yeah. So the. The Conde M. Nas gallery. So it's a huge expansion of what was before.

[D]

That's incredible.

[C]

Usually you had to go up the Stairs. But this was much. This is much different.

[D]

Okay. Wow. Because it was right there as you walked in.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And I got. I got to the carpet at 5:30, which I think was.

[C]

That is it. That's pretty early.

[D]

Yeah. So I think that was nice because it didn't feel like I wasn't waiting in line that long.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And it wasn't. So that part was.

[C]

It wasn't too scary.

[D]

It wasn't too scary and intimidating. Also, shout out to everyone working at Vogue. Everyone on the carpet who is working for Vogue is very kind and very, like, nurturing. I feel like they can. They could spot the first timer glint in my eye. They could tell I was a newbie. And then you walk through the museum, and that's a long walk to get a horn blows. And then you walk to the Egyptian wing, and it's this incredibly lengthy walk. And I feel like at various times, like, sometimes you're walking alone, and then, like, sometimes you, like, are walking with, like, next to Blake Lively and you, like, share a smile and accidentally step on her train.

[C]

Yeah. There was a lot of train traffic.

[D]

There was a lot of train traffic.

[C]

I stopped behind Rachel Ziegler's dress for at least a good 20 minutes.

[D]

Oh, my God.

[C]

On the way to dinner.

[D]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Because you want to be polite, but it's happening to you too. It's like, there's some train etiquette that. That's, like, a whole lesson. That's gonna be a whole nother podcast episode. And then when you get into the room and it's so grand, and, like, the Egyptian room is just so spectacular. That was, like, always my favorite room to go to as a kid. So to see it dressed up like that, it's, like, stunning.

[C]

Yeah, it's pretty major.

[D]

And then I think there's a whole journey, actually, from getting to your table that you're assigned to. Like, my table's quite, like, far away from the entrance, so I think I took about an hour to get to my table.

[C]

Who was at your table?

[D]

I didn't have a first course.

[C]

Right. Oh, so you missed the first course. You missed the berrata.

[D]

I've totally missed the Barata. Didn't even know it existed, but, yeah, that was its whole own journey. It's, like, bopping around and seeing a lot of, like, a lot of familiar faces and friends, which felt. It's like. It's a very friendly room. Janelle Monae was, to my right, Stunning at one point.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

What was she wearing?

[D]

She was wearing.

[C]

Because I Didn't get to see up close.

[D]

It was a sort of commentary on technology, from what I gather. I didn't. I don't know who the designer was, but it was a bunch of cords kind of crawling up her neck. And. Yeah, she had like. Like CD roms as her, like, nipple covers.

[C]

Whoa. Okay.

[D]

And at one point, I cut into my radish and it flew off.

[C]

Oh, dear.

[D]

The chair. And. Yeah, the radish spilled on my dress.

[C]

Very difficult.

[D]

And straight into. Straight into her boob.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

But it was amazing. We laughed about it afterwards. And Nicole Phelps.

[C]

Yes. Love Nicole Phelps.

[D]

And Cara Delevingne, our very own.

[C]

And Cara, who's a riot.

[D]

A riot. An absolute riot.

[C]

I didn't get to see her tonight.

[A]

She.

[C]

She was rocking the livestream.

[D]

She was. She was. She got it. She had the earpiece in. She looked like a Secret Service agent. Yeah. It was a fun table. It was. We. We had a good. We had a good vibe. And then everyone got up as soon as Sabrina and Stevie Nicks got on stage. Yeah. And it became a mosh pit.

[C]

Did you get any advice from your friends who've been. As to how to kind of navigate it?

[D]

I think a lot of people were like, you're gonna black out on the carpet. And I didn't. I didn't, I didn't. Weirdly. So do you guys, like, kind of taper your partying so that you can be kind of. Yes. In check for the podcast?

[A]

My arrival time was 4:30.

[D]

Right.

[A]

And so I was in cocktails for three hours, which meant I had. You had three margaritas over three hours. Perfect.

[D]

Perfect.

[A]

Which was fine. Cause I, you know, I was having water in between. But it just. Just. It means that I'm, like, ready for bed.

[C]

Absolutely.

[D]

But you're going to after parties.

[A]

I'm gonna go to the GQ after party colleagues party. I'm gonna stop by. Colleen Allen made me a beautiful, like, velvet drapey top that's so small.

[C]

Oh, so you have a change.

[D]

Yeah, you gotta change. You don't. You gotta change.

[C]

No, but this.

[D]

This dress is.

[A]

Is after party ready.

[D]

It has.

[C]

I've got a train.

[A]

Are you kidding me?

[C]

I've got to hang it over my shoulder.

[A]

Yeah, but that's fun.

[D]

That could be its own sort of different.

[A]

Chase, what's your itinerary?

[D]

My itinerary for the night is me, Sarah Pigeon and Rachel Sennett are sort of in lockstep.

[A]

Love that for you guys.

[C]

What's the next squad?

[A]

What do you think that's such a fun Squad.

[D]

Okay, we're thinking. I do think the move is gq.

[C]

Yes. I think that's the first stop. It used to. It would have been boom, boom. But I think everyone's got. It's like they're kind of diametrically opposed. One is on one end of town and the one is on the other.

[D]

Exactly.

[C]

One is on the east side, one is on the west side.

[D]

Right.

[A]

I'm choosing gq.

[C]

Me too.

[D]

I'm gonna choose gq.

[C]

Me too.

[D]

Gq. Seems. And then. And then, I mean, I feel like there are a couple parties. It's like, unclear who's hosting them, but they seem to be like the fun parties. But I think Sabrina and Ma' Donna are having a party.

[C]

Oh, funny.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Where's that?

[D]

That is somewhere in my itinerary that my amazing publicist sent me.

[C]

Waiting for further direction.

[A]

Famously, once was out until 5 in the morning.

[C]

Oh, yeah. Not this. Not ton.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Do you guys have to work tomorrow?

[A]

I'm on. We have shifts and my shift starts at 7:00am really? Yeah.

[D]

Why did you. Surely you could. But you're the boss. Change that. I know, but I was at the

[A]

event and like, if Hannah and Christian have to be on, I'm gonna be on to edit that.

[C]

I don't do that. Sorry.

[D]

Wow, that's.

[C]

I'm too old for that. Are you kidding me? No. 7am what's wrong with you?

[D]

I wake up early.

[C]

Okay, fine.

[D]

What?

[A]

I like to be like, you know, early bird gets the worm. I'm gonna leave early. Chase, thank you so much. You're such a great sport. I'd love to see it. I'm so excited for your after party squad itinerary. Go get em.

[D]

It's gonna be good. I needed this sort of to process the night. And this is your center? Myself.

[A]

This is my recalibration.

[D]

This is my recalibration. I gotta say, I was like flying over the clouds like 30 minutes ago singing along to Stephen Nicks, and now I'm like, centered and ready to go and. Yeah. Thank you.

[A]

Go get that GQ bird.

[D]

Thank you so much. You guys are the best. So fun.

[C]

The run through with Vogue is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalma and Alex John Burns, with help from Emily Elias. Bye.

[A]

Hi, I'm Rebecca Ford.

[C]

And I'm John Ross.

[A]

And we're the hosts of Little Gold Men, Vanity Fair's podcast for film, TV and awards lovers.

[C]

And just because the Oscars are done for now doesn't mean we are.

[A]

Join us every week for coverage of the biggest stories in Hollywood, interviews with today's brightest stars, and so much more.

[C]

Listen to Little Gold Men every Thursday

[A]

wherever you get your podcasts. From.

[C]

Prx.