Rita Ora and Taika Waititi grace the red carpet

It’s time for the Met Gala and the celebrity fashion show included a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-dyed carpet surrounded by foliage. Jennifer Lopez opted for silver leaves with a second-skin goddess dress and Zendaya was all vampire and fantasy.

Both are co-chairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser. And both received applause from the crowd of fashion enthusiasts packed behind barriers outside.

There were flowers everywhere, in keeping with this year’s theme: “The Garden of Time.” López (in Schiaparelli) was all va-va-voom in an almost naked dress that hugged like a second skin. She already has the Gala Goal: she is number 14. Zendaya put on her fashion face in blue and green tones, with a matching headdress and leaf details.

It’s been five years since Zendaya last attended the Met Gala. Her look, in peacock colors, was from Margiela. Lopez opted for diamonds from Tiffany & Co., including a stunning bird-motif necklace and a more than 20-carat diamond in the center.

Colman Domingo donned an ivory jacket with a cape and held a bouquet of white calla lilies, while Tyla chose a dress made to look like sand. She needed help with the hourglass she was holding as she walked up the stairs of the museum.

Sam Smith wore silver and gold metal roses tucked into the waistband of a jacket, and Jack Harlow also channeled flowers, but subtly with a silver and pearl floral boutonniere.

Anna Wintour, the intellectual author of the gala, wore a black coat adorned with multicolored flowers. Her fellow co-president Bad Bunny dressed all in black. A pregnant Lea Michele wore Rodarte, inspired by the brand’s spring/summer 2012 collection.

“I feel honored to be here and bring my baby with me,” Michele said. “I don’t think they’d allow me a companion, but I’ll bring one,” she said, laughing. “I’m so grateful. I feel really beautiful, you know, in this pregnancy.”

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Only the event’s red carpet can be seen: the gala’s cocktail hour and dinner are notoriously private events.

What is the goal of the Met Gala?

It’s a party, sure, with cocktails and dinner for about 400 guests, but it’s also a big fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute, the museum’s only department that must pay for itself. Last year, the gala raised around NZ$36 million. Wintour, a Met administrator after whom part of the institute is named, organizes the whole thing. No phones allowed, which adds to the appeal.

What is the theme of this year’s Met Gala?

There is a dress code each year tied to the museum’s spring exhibition. Some guests, not all, come over at Wintour’s request. This year’s theme is inspired by JG Ballard’s 1962 short story of the same name. It’s a soft fashion question considering how specific last year’s topic was: all things Karl Lagerfeld.

What is the museum exhibit this year?

It’s called “Sleeping Beauties: The Awakening of Fashion.” But we’re not talking about fairy tales or Disney princesses. It includes 250 items from The Costume Institute’s permanent collection, including some garments that are rarely seen in public and are so fragile they need to be under glass. The curators wanted to involve all the senses, including smell. They worked with a “smell artist.” And there is one garment that really grows. Part of the idea is to pay homage to the natural world. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday and runs until September 2.