Behind the scenes at the Met Gala, this Olympian discovers she’s America’s sweetheart

FastCompany: Alysa Liu surveyed the glittery crowd arrayed in front of her, sipping cocktails and chatting. It was her first Met Gala , and she hesitated for a second, searching for a word to describe it. “It’s … BIG,” the Olympic skater finally said with a grin. But what Liu, dressed in a blood-red custom Louis Vuitton gown with a full skirt and huge ruffles, couldn’t quite get was how big SHE had become. Even at a party full of very, very famous people, everyone wanted to greet her. Some Met Gala guests have been famous for many years. Others have achieved fame with dizzying speed.

For Liu, all it took was a gold-medal performance that charmed the whole world. “Everybody recognizes me!” she said, with genuine surprise, of the crowd packed into the airy Charles Engelhard Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “It’s crazy. Imagine that overnight, suddenly everyone knows who you are!” And then America’s skating sweetheart was off, soon to be spotted laughing with Connor Storrie of “Heated Rivalry,” another star of the night who also arrived from an ice rink.

Some more scenes from inside the Met Gala: Under a full moon, the strains of harp music After guests made their way up the carpeted steps to the museum, they entered into the Great Hall, which had been transformed into “a Northern Italian garden,” in the museum’s words. There was a huge moon hanging and swaying from the ceiling, and below it a floral centerpiece surrounded by cypress branches. A half dozen harpists serenaded the guests, who waited to shake the hands of the gala co-chairs — Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, and honorary chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos — but not, for now, the late-arriving Beyoncé.

The receiving line was a long wait, reported Sarah Paulson. “I waited 45 minutes,” the actor said, explaining why she hadn’t made it yet to the Conde M. Nast Galleries to see the fashion exhibit, “Costume Art,” which examines the dressed body through centuries of art history. Her feet hurt. “You could cut my legs off at the ankle,” she said. Lobster crostini and tomato-mozzarella pillows As the Engelhard court gradually filled, guests milled about snacking on lobster crostini or tomato and mozzarella “pillows.” Zoë Kravitz, who headed the host committee, greeted Storrie — did we mention he was a top attraction?

— and complimented him on his work. Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid sat quietly chatting on the sidelines, hand in hand. Near them, Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster did the same. Jackman stood up when skier Lindsey Vonn came by, giving her a hug. Vonn, who suffered a traumatic leg injury at the Winter Olympics, used only a cane and sparkled in a Thom Browne gown. Billionaires, he’s seen ’em before Ever since Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos had been announced as honorary chairs, there had been anti-billionaire backlash in liberal New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would not come.

A group called Everyone Hates Elon — a reference to Musk — had plastered posters at bus stops, like one on the East Side saying “Dress code: Willful ignorance,” and on subways. The Rev. Al Sharpton, though, had a different take. He’d attended a few Met Galas, and said billionaires were nothing new. “There have always been billionaires here,” Sharpton said. “I may not agree with everything Bezos does, but do I abandon Beyoncé and Venus Williams?” He also praised Wintour for paying attention to diversity. “I opted to come.” He said the gala “brings a cultured meeting space” for people who haven’t yet met.

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The article discusses the Met Gala's role in personal branding, which is significant for understanding celebrity influence but is a common theme in brand strategy discussions.