As fashion’s biggest night came to a close, celebrities wasted no time gearing up for the Met Gala after-parties, including Richie Akiva’s 11th annual “The After” at Casa Cipriani.
Taking things up a notch from last year, Akiva enlisted 29-year-old singer Doja Cat and South African pop star Tyla as hosts, joined by co-hosts Edward Enninful and Colman Domingo.
While the party — which had DJ sets by Kaytranada, Pedro and Kitty Cash, to name a few — was slated to begin at 11 p.m., things didn’t heat up until well past midnight. In fact, Akiva himself strolled in after midnight, casually greeting guests before sinking into a couch for a quick phone call — only to later re-emerge as the ultimate hype man, rallying the crowd to center stage.
At around 1 a.m., New York City Mayor Eric Adams was spotted deep in conversation with reality TV star Jonathan Cheban, who just flew in from the Formula 1 race in Miami. “I only slept for 20 minutes and watched the Met on the plane,” Cheban said. “I rushed here immediately after landing….I couldn’t miss it.”
Just after 1:30 a.m., Leonardo DiCaprio slipped in, dressed incognito in a black suit and matching cap. He made a beeline to the back of the venue (aka the VIP section), where he was soon joined by Enninful.
Fast-forward to 3 a.m., Doja Cat — previously seated in the VIP section — came out to the center of the room to dance with a friend near the stripper pole to Drake and PartyNextDoor’s hit song “Nokia.” Meanwhile, Heidi Klum held court nearby, escorted by two sharply dressed men who acted as both bodyguards and arm candy for the night.
On the other side of the room, Jaden Smith danced to Rihanna’s “Loveeeeeee Song,” while Madonna lounged comfortably in her private section.
Then, just after 4 a.m., “Boys” singer Lizzo jumped on stage for an impromptu dance moment that included a few playful moves with Akiva.
Toward the end of the night, 2024’s Model of the Year Alex Consani, made her entrance in a Swarovski crystal minidress. The party showed no signs of slowing down as celebrities and socialites — including Zendaya, Law Roach, Serena Williams, Colin Kaepernick, Simone Biles, Rickey Thompson, Marcello Hernandez, Ana Batlle, Santi Nunez, Jonathan Cheban and Matthew Cancel, to name a few — danced well into the early hours.
