Marc Jacobs was at the bar vaping something with cinnamon flavor. Justin Theroux sat in the corner wearing a sleeveless T-shirt. A DJ played Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours.”
It was around 1am in the Boom Boom Room of the Standard hotel, and if the usual Met Gala after-party was less starry than in years past, it was because the main event itself (there was no Rihanna, Jay -Z, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga or Madonna).
Until a few years ago, there were also few parties that competed with the Boom Boom Room. This year saw rival events hosted by Instagram, LaQuan Smith, Tom Ford, Naomi Campbell, Cara Delevingne and the Blond. So a lot of people grabbed a champagne flute, took a few pictures, ate some chips and bounced on to the next.
This included Jared Leto, who had gone to the Met Gala with Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele. They styled their hair the same way, wore identical outfits and seemed to go for a twin vibe in every way. “He’s one of my best friends, so it was a way to celebrate our friendship,” Mr. Leto said around midnight. At that point he was flying solo, as Mr. Michele had gone to bed.
Normani arrived about half an hour later. “Where are you going?” she asked a friend. “From Naomi Campbell,” the friend said. Normani nodded to indicate that she intended to do the same.
Shortly before 2 a.m., the party finally got going when a woman with a microphone climbed atop the bar. “Wake up everyone,” she said. “And welcome to the official Met Gala afterparty.”
It was Cardi B. So they did as they said and grabbed pictures from the bar because that was her next instruction (along with a call to “turn it up” when the next song came out).
She had gone to the gala with Donatella Versace, who was in another cubicle and whose birthday had just ended. He also received a directive from Cardi B.
“Donatella, Mrs. Versace,” Cardi B said. “Happy birthday to you.”
Instagram hosted an influencer-packed afterparty at the James B. Duke House, a grand mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
“If I were left to my own devices, I’d stay here and look at the decor,” said Chloe Wise, the artist, as she surveyed the palatial French-classic ground floor, which features multiple bars with cinematic selfie lighting and a room opulent. live with plants.
Mayor Eric Adams arrived around 11 p.m., flanked by a security phalanx. “The Met needed some swag and I brought that swag,” he said, wearing Laolu Senbanjo’s tailored jacket with “End Gun Violence” on the back. “It had swag and I added.” He predicted that he would end his night at Zero Bond, the private social club in NoHo.
Mark Rober, a NASA engineer turned glitter-bombing YouTube sensation, marveled at the Met Gala’s dazzling star power. He was particularly excited to see Elon Musk. “It was really great,” he said. “The power of that room is insane.”
The event got off to a slow start. Hillary Taymour, the creative director of Collina Strada, wore a checked overshirt from her own collection. She described the after-party circuit as “a playground of fashion’s who’s whos.”
David Lee, a former New York Knicks forward, was half a head taller than anyone in the room. (“It’s hard to wear a top hat when you’re 6-9,” he said of his more conservative tuxedo.) Will Welch, the GQ editor, chatted with Odell Beckham Jr. And everywhere, guests were creating content of their own.
Given the herds of Instagram celebrities at the event, how many “likes” were theoretically in the building? Derek Blasberg made an educated guess. “Infinity loves,” he said.
After midnight, SZA came out to sing a few songs. A shining thicket of cellphones captured the moment.
LaQuan Smith served Popeyes
LaQuan Smith is becoming known for his over-the-top fashion parties, so it was no surprise that he would be hosting his own parties after the Met Gala — this in time at Peak, a cocktail lounge atop 30 Hudson Yards.
An arsenal of elevators drove guests to the 101st floor. Inside, Ashton Sanders from “Moonlight” danced to Beyoncé’s cookbook cover of “Before I Let Go” and led the electric slide. He still had on his eerie white contacts from the red carpet.
Popeyes handled the affair, previewing a new limited-edition item — the Buffalo Ranch chicken sandwich — which waiters performed on silver platters.
Mr Smith, 33, bounced around the lounge all night, wearing a form-fitting black suit and taking photos with guests.
In one corner, the Florida rapper Saucy Santana munched on a sandwich and greeted friends. “Marni on me!” he said, showing her look from head to toe. The rapper was torn about how to spend his night — he also had invites to after-parties hosted by Cardi B, Naomi Campbell and Teyana Taylor. “I’m trying to spread the love to everyone,” he said with a diplomatic smile.
As the evening wore on, guests danced and bought a pair of LaQuan Smith x Philo sunglasses ($1) from a vending machine that accepted Apple Pay. Goody bags with pre-rolled joints and a gift voucher for Popeyes appeared. Guests ventured to the outside deck and lit up.
Around 1am, Saucy Santana ran for the elevators. “I’m going to party with Cardi,” he said.