Before the night’s main event at the Met had even wrapped, the crowds were already decamping for The Mark just a few blocks away to continue the celebrations. Early arrivals at Michael Kors’ after-party included Reese Witherspoon (who managed to enter almost unnoticed, while Tommy Hilfiger and his wife attracted a barrage of camera flashes), former mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. “You know, if you aren’t Beyoncé or Jay Z tonight, you are second best,” said actress Elizabeth Banks, as she watched guests start to arrive.
Around 11 p.m., when Kors turned up with his date, Kate Hudson, and packs of models (Karlie Kloss, Karolina Kurkova, Joan Smalls), actresses (Claire Danes, Sienna Miller), and fellow designers (Zac Posen, Phillip Lim, Erdem Moralioglu) right behind them, the party was instantly in full swing. With Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know?” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” booming from the speakers, guests made a beeline for the dance floor the minute they got inside. “The exhibition was remarkable—I could spend days going through it—and Rihanna totally, really blew my mind,” Kors told Style.com. “I had more fun tonight than any Met ball ever.” Hailee Steinfeld, who was in a red number by the designer, agreed. “I can’t decide what was better, sitting at Michael Kors’ table with Michael Kors or Rihanna’s performance.” While some, including latecomers Robert Pattinson and FKA twigs, stayed to catch Miguel onstage, many started to duck out by midnight to head downtown to The Standard hotel.
Energy levels were at full charge at The Top of the Standard, where even the stars were starstruck. As Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson boarded the elevators to go up, Common was making an exit. “That is, like, my absolutely favorite rapper ever,” Jackson said as the doors shut. Upstairs, Riccardo Tisci, Mario Testino, and André Balazs held court in one corner, while Madonna, Humberto Leon, Jessica Alba, Kate Mara, and Leonardo DiCaprio circled the room. Shortly after 1 a.m., bottles started breaking (Naomi Campbell and Pat McGrath even tried to help assist when one area of the dance floor became a danger zone), shirts began coming off, and the kids were dancing on the booths.
“It’s like the Kors party, but sloppier,” said one guest at the Lady Gaga x Alexander Wang after-party. The late-night celebration was cohosted by the singer and the designer at the Diamond Horseshoe, the subterranean portion of the Paramount Hotel in midtown. Kristen Wiig got things going, lifting up her long yellow gown to hit the dance floor first. But it didn’t take long for the fairly quiet gathering to transform into a full-on rager, with Wang and Hanne Gaby Odiele holding sparklers and bopping up and down. Miley Cyrus attracted a large crowd while she snapped selfies with Rita Ora; Hari Nef strutted in and out of the crowds, smoking a cigarette; and Hood by Air’s Shayne Oliver was looking particularly happy as he sipped his drink. The best part for him? “Saying hi to my friend Alex. I haven’t seen him in a while.” Around 2:30, Lady Gaga joined the DJ onstage, dancing to “Girls, Girls, Girls.” Madonna was spotted discreetly standing near the doorway. A moment later, she was gone.
—Kristin Tice Studeman and Austen Rosenfeld, Style.com
