No stranger to the red carpet and definitely no stranger to the Met Gala, Penélope Cruz arrived at the 2023 event not only as a guest, but as a co-chair alongside fellow stars Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, and tennis legend Roger Federer. Of course, being that she was hand-picked by Anna Wintour herself to lead the Karl Lagerfeld tribute (officially, the theme is "Karl Lagerfeld; A Line of Beauty"), Cruz made sure to do just that with her outfit.
Cruz was among the first to arrive on the carpet, hot on the heels of Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Cruz wore one of the season's most prevalent trends: the hood. Seen on the likes of Hailey Bieber and the Hadid sisters, Cruz's hood was a little lighter and airier than her fellow fashion fans, making the Chanel ballgown that she wore at this year's Met Gala look almost bridal. The veil-like hood was attached to the bodice of her strapless gown, which was a sweet and confectionary mint green. The gown featured elaborate crystal embroidery at the hem (and bodice), and Cruz finished the look with a belt (complete with a shimmering buckle) and clean, fresh makeup courtesy of Charlotte Tilbury.
It's not Cruz's first time offering up a nod to Lagerfeld on the Met Gala red carpet. Back in 2019, she wore Chanel Spring 1987 Haute Couture to the event. The dress included a black-and-white tiered design and a bow embellishment. Though the theme that year was "Camp: Notes on Fashion," Cruz seemed to eschew the directive by instead opting to stay prim, proper, and polished.
And back in 2011, when the theme was "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty," Cruz attended alongside the late designer Oscar de la Renta wearing a frothy black gown with a dramatic train.