The Met Gala, an annual benefit event for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, is considered one of the world's biggest fashion events.
It is known for its exclusive guest list, its expensive tickets and - most of all - its extravagant outfits, based on a different theme each year.
This year, that theme was Camp: Notes on Fashion - to coincide with an upcoming exhibition at the Met, inspired by US writer and political activist Susan Sontag's 1964 essay, Notes on Camp. .
Lady Gaga                          
Image caption Lady Gaga, one of the event's co-hosts, arrived in a billowing pink


The stories behind the Met Gala outfits
The outfits this year were therefore, like the exhibition, based on "irony, humour, parody, pastiche, artifice, theatricality and exaggeration".
And showing everyone how it was done at the very start of the night was singer Lady Gaga, who arrived in a billowing pink outfit which was not quite what it seemed at first glance outfit... 

              
Lady Gaga at Met Gala second outfitImage copyright AFP
Image caption Which opened up to reveal a black gown, her second outfit...                               
Lady GagaImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption ...Which she then took off, to reveal her final outfit
Serena WilliamsImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption Serena Williams, who is also co-hosting, arrived in a neon yellow gown - with matching Nike trainers
Janelle MonaeImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption Singer Janelle Monae turned heads in a gown complete with a blinking          
Michael UrieImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption Actor Michael Urie has gone for two looks in one
Presentational white space
Ezra Miller holds up a maskImage copyright Reuters
Image caption Actor Ezra Miller shows off some very impressive (and unsettling) make-up art
Katy PerryImage copyright Reuters
Image caption Katy Perry is dressed as a chandelier
Corey Gamble, Kris Jenner, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott arrives for the 2019 Met GalaImage copyright Reuters
The Kardashians.                             
Deepika PadukoneImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption Bollywood star Deepika Padukone channelled Barbie in a large pink gown                
Billy Porter
Image caption Singer Billy Porter made an entrance before flexing his wings in front of the crowds
Jordan RothImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption And theatre owner Jordan Roth has, very aptly, turned himself into a theatre hall
Celine DionImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption Celine Dion, perhaps the original queen of 'camp', did not disappoint
Presentational white space
Jared Leto holds up a model of his headImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption Actor Jared Leto clearly believes that two heads are better than one                               
Presentational white space