You don’t have to be Charli XCX to know the best hours of any night out are spent at the after-party.
As a general rule, the Met Gala after-parties act as a second chance for attendees who might have missed the mark with their looks for the main event. In years past, sometimes what celebrities wear to the after-party is actually more fitting for the dress code – or just a better outfit, full stop.
Often, the hems are shorter, vibes more casual and pants left at the door.
The main fashion sponsor for the Met Gala always throws one of the most-attended after-parties and Saint Laurent was no exception this year. Margot Robbie dropped in looking fresh-faced and laid back in what would otherwise be an ideal date outfit: jeans and a nice top. It just so happened, in this case, that outfit was Chanel.
Perennial fly guy and self-proclaimed “most handsome man in the world” (is he wrong?), A$AP Rocky also wore Chanel to the after-parties.
The rapper swapped his pastel pink robe for jeans, a sequined jacket and layered shirt look from the autumn/winter 2026 collection by Matthieu Blazy.
Rihanna stayed at home, presumably too tired of entertaining these people. And who could blame her?
Kendall Jenner was also there, swapping her GAP by Zac Posen gown for what looked like a deconstructed version by the designer, a sculpted beige bodice over a flowing sheer silk skirt. Curiously, she chose to wear a piece of the sheer fabric over her head.
Biting social commentary on the overexposure of her family, perhaps?
Attendees wearing variations on their gala attire was a theme for the after-party.
Kendall’s BFF and Rhode founder Hailey Bieber swapped her 24k-gold bodice and Klein blue Saint Laurent dress for a white mini that upon first-glance, looked like it was moulded to her body, but actually was a Dilara Findikoglu patchwork creation from her spring/summer 2026 collection.
When you want someone to bring the drama, look to Tessa Thompson. One of the most exuberant red carpet dressers of her generation, the actor always seems like she’s actually given some thought to her looks and her after-party outfit is a perfect example.
In an exaggerated gold Valentino spring/summer 2026 couture top and leather short-shorts, she looks every inch a modern Hollywood movie star. Does she also closely resemble a glam-rock frilled-neck lizard? Maybe, but if so, she pulls it off with aplomb – and that’s on star quality.
One of the most tiring trends on the Met Gala red carpet this year was the overwhelming presence of black. Sure it’s a fashion event, but things are already grim enough in this world without feeling like you’re looking at the procession at an over-the-top funeral.
Nonetheless, if I was newly engaged and forced to attend a work event without my significant other, I’d also want to wear all-black. So Zoë Kravitz is forgiven for playing things safe in this instance, which she did in her lace Saint Laurent number.
Really, a great after-party look only needs to do one thing: make you feel good enough that the next morning, when you’re looking through photos and talking about the night before, you don’t care about whatever regrettable thing you might have done because you looked hot doing it.
