The Latest: The Met Gala opens as rain fails to dim the stars for fashion's biggest night

NEW YORK (AP) — Fashion's biggest night got underway Monday at the Met Gala in a rainy Manhattan.

This is the first Met Gala to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first in more than 20 years to have a menswear theme. This year's theme is based on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring exhibit, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”

Among the hosts are Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo and A$AP Rocky. LeBron James was made honorary chair but will not attend because of a knee injury.

The guest list includes about 450 people from tech, sports, art, entertainment and more.

Vogue’s Anna Wintour is the gala’s mastermind. The gala raises the bulk of the budget for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.

Rain fell in the city as guests began walking the carpet.

For full coverage of the Met Gala, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/met-gala

Here’s the latest:

Rihanna makes her arrival at the Met Gala

Rihanna shut down a rainy Met Gala and showed off her newly announced baby bump.

Her Marc Jacobs look included tied sleeves of a men’s suit that served as a bustle behind her as she posed for the cameras, the last to walk the carpet as usual. Her hair hung long in a mermaid twist behind her.

After waiting until 10 p.m. for her arrival, the remaining members of the press scurried out.

‘F1’ actor Damson Idris arrives in a designer racing suit

Damson Idris is kicking off the “F1” campaign in style. The actor pulled up to the event in a race car from the film wearing a Tommy Hilfiger-designed racing suit and embellished helmet featuring 20,000 Swarovski crystals. Eventually, he took off the kit and helmet to reveal a tailored suit.

Idris wasn’t the only person repping the upcoming film (in theaters June 27), in which he stars alongside Brad Pitt as an up-and-coming racer in the glamorous world of Formula One. Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who was involved in the film from the earliest days as a consultant, is a co-chair of the Met Gala.

‘White Lotus’ stars arrive on the carpet

Several cast members from the recently wrapped Season 3 of “The White Lotus” turned out on the blue carpet, including Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Lisa.

Goggins and Lisa walked separately, but Wood and Schwarzenegger spoke to Vogue before walking the carpet together.

Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan makes his Met Gala debut

Shah Rukh Khan is a Bollywood megastar, with legions of fans the world over. At 59, with decades of fame under his belt, he’s finally making his Met Gala debut — in Sabyasachi.

Bollywood celebrities aren’t strangers to the Met Gala, but it’s rarer for a male actor to appear. In recent years, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and crossover star Priyanka Chopra Jonas have represented the Hindi film industry at the annual fundraiser.

“I’ve not done too many red carpets, I’m very shy,” Khan, toting a cane and necklace with a large K, told Vogue. He credited his attendance to Sabyasachi, and said he informed the designer he only wore black and white.

“Just to give you a little bit of context, Shah Rukh Khan is probably one of most famous men in the world,” the designer, who sported a literal feather in his cap, said. “And his fan following is legendary, and we nearly had a stampede outside of our hotel when he came out.”

A$AP Rocky confirms baby no. 3 with Rihanna

“It feels amazing, you know,” gala co-chair A$AP Rocky told reporters who congratulated him after outlets reported the couple was expecting their third child. “It’s time that we show the people what we was cooking up. And I’m glad everybody’s happy for us ‘cause we definitely happy, you know.”

TMZ reported earlier Monday that Rihanna and the rapper were expecting their third child. A representative for Rihanna didn’t immediately return The Associated Press’ request for comment. Photos taken of the singer Monday walking in New York showed her with what appeared to be a baby bump.

“Honestly, it’s a blessing nonetheless,” Rocky told the AP. “Because you know how like some people in other situations at times can be envious of other people. But we’ve been seeing love for the most part. And we real receptive to that and appreciate that, you know what I mean? That’s love. Love is love.”

Some choose gowns and no pants over suited looks

Despite the “Tailored For You'' menswear dress code, there were a surprising number of stars wearing gowns on the blue carpet.

From rapper Megan Thee Stallion to model Gigi Hadid, the celebrities chose dresses over suited looks.

Sabrina Carpenter wore ... most of a Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton suit. Most, because it featured a jacket and no pants.

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens make Met Gala appearance a day before anniversary

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens made a stylish pit stop at the Met Gala just a day before celebrating their anniversary.

The Olympian and the Chicago Bears defensive back showed up dapper and dazzling, admitting Met prep was more nerve-wracking than a gymnastics meet or NFL game.

‘I train for the Olympics my whole life, and this is like a one-day event,’ Biles joked in her short blue dress. “Got in yesterday, we did all the fittings and it’s just a lot. It’s stressful.”

The couple attended the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Pro-Palestin

ian protesters gather near the gala

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered about a block away from the gala as the area immediately around the museum had been cordoned off by police.

Organizers calling for protesters to “surround” the Met in social media posts claimed the Manhattan institution is “tied to genocide in every way possible.”

Within Our Lifetime also called out celebrities for continuing to “flaunt their extreme wealth and materialism” as residents of Gaza suffered in the ongoing war with Israel.

Video clips shared on social media showed some protesters hopping over barricades as they marched in the rain through Central Park. Other clips showed protesters met by vocal counterprotesters supporting Israel.

New York City police said Monday evening that no arrests had been made.

It’s the second year in a row that protests have taken place outside the gala.

Diana Ross arrives in a massive train

Allow Diana Ross to collect her flowers. The Motown icon arrived in a massive ivory train as a starstruck Zendaya — and everyone else — looked on. In some ways, it recalled the memorable yellow train wore by Rihanna a decade ago — the Guo Pei couture gown that lit up the internet at the 2015 Met Gala.

Ross had six men helping her with her train at the top of the Met steps. She fanned herself from the heat as they helped her remove her long feathered train. She said the dress was vintage and she’d had it forever.

The inside of the train, she told Vogue, had the names of “all my children and my eight grandchildren” embroidered in it.

Zendaya wore a white suit with a hat.

Coco Jones hits the red carpet before kicking off tour

R&B star Coco Jones is having a better time than most. Last week, she released her debut album, “Why Not More?” And on Monday, she stunned in custom Manish Malhotra at the Met Gala — an ivory white suit with a long train.

“This is where fashion meets intention,” Jones told Vogue on the carpet. “I think this is going to be historic for our culture.”

And Tuesday: A tour kicks off in Philadelphia for the singer. Not a bad way to start the week.

Choir sings M

otown classic on the carpet

A choir of tuxedo-dressed men added some liveliness to the carpet erupting in the classic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

Vogue host LaLa Anthony and others cheered on the choir.

At the bottom of the carpet, Anna Wintour beamed at the choir as Colman Domingo danced in place.

Teyana Taylor was among the early arrivals.

Host Pharrell Williams wears jacket with thousands of pearls

Pharrell Williams’ jacket consists of 15,000 pearls and took 400 hours to construct, a representative with him confirmed.

Williams is Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director and a gala co-chair.