Chloe Fineman was sporting a distinct purse as part of her outfit for this year’s Met Gala, appearing on the steps of the coveted fashion event with a crystal cat bag in tow. The Saturday Night Live castmate paired the feline purse with a hand-embroidered dress of pink glass beads, and a floral neckline designed by Wiederhoeft. It marked Fineman’s second appearance at the event, having made her debut on the Met Gala carpet in 2021.
The actress was one of the first guests to arrive at the Metropolitan Museum, and handled hosting duties for Vogue’s red carpet coverage alongside Emma Chamberlain, Derek Blasberg and TV personality Lala Anthony. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Fineman revealed that she had suffered a wardrobe malfunction some time before the Met Gala kicked off, saying “There might be a minor tear somewhere, but I’m not going to tell you where.” According to Women’s Wear Daily, Fineman called the pink purse Choupette, in reference to Karl Lagerfeld’s cat of the same name.
Lagerfeld was the inspiration behind this year’s Met Gala theme, and his affection for cats was referenced in outfits worn by multiple attendees. For her part, Rihanna sported a pre-event look made almost entirely of monochromatic faux fur, while Doja Cat arrived at the Met in dramatic feline facial prosthetics. Elsewhere, Jared Leto went all out in a full-body cat costume with a removable head, while Lil Nas X — who sported long cheek whiskers — answered some red carpet questions by simply meowing.
Meanwhile, James Corden wore a blue suit meant to match Choupette’s eyes, and Janelle Monáe followed Fineman with a white bag likewise shaped in cat-form. After reports that Choupette herself was invited to this year’s Met Gala, it was later revealed that the beloved pet would not be in attendance. In a post uploaded to Choupette’s official Instagram, the cat thanked her fans and animal lovers for their support, before confirming that she “preferred to stay peacefully & cozy at home.”
Felines haven’t had this level of celebrity attention since the ill-fated 2019 film adaption of Cats, but thankfully even the Met Gala paid better tribute to kittens than a CGI version of Jason Derulo ever could. For their sake, we hope none of the Met Gala guests had a fur allergy. Stay up to date with We Got This Covered’s 2023 Met Gala coverage — including red carpet looks from Serena Williams, Vanessa Hudgens and Jenna Ortega — here.
