Partying at the Met

Another annual gala was held at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art this week. As always, it was a glittering and star-studded event. Vogue's Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman and Karl Lagerfeld hosted the gala and among the guests were Claire Danes, Elle MacPherson, Naomi Watts, Sheryl Crow and Marcia Gay Harden.

The evening, for which guests had to pay $150,000 per table, was this year held in celebration of the new Chanel exhibition at the Met. Lagerfeld, Chanel's creative director since 1983, is not known for retrospection. He therefore had little to do with the organisation of the exhibition - which is being touted curator Harold Koda as a dialogue between Coco Chanel en Lagerfeld - besides approving the outfits featured and contributing to the catalogue. "I am not interested in the past," said Lagerfeld. "My task is to anticipate for Chanel what will be in fashion tomorrow." Maybe, but without the past there would be no Chanel.