Nicole and Rocky: Chanel before Chanel?

Nicole Kidman is one of the co-chairs of the upcoming Met Gala on Monday. She’s on some fashion business today, but she’s not in New York yet.

The Chanel Cruise Collection was presented in Biarritz today and as one of the house’s most prominent ambassadors, Nicole was there to represent… in a stunningly cut black dress.

The shape of it, roomy on top, a slight cling around the hips, but also loose at the bottom – she is modelling it to perfection. And I am obsessed with this hairstyle on her, which surprises me: fringe and layers around her face and a classic low bun, so chic and so Chanel.

Speaking of…

Will it be Chanel at the Met Gala for Nicole? As mentioned, Saint Laurent is the fashion sponsor but Anna Wintour wants all the major fashion houses to have a presence there – and this would also be Matthieu Blazy’s first Met Gala as Chanel’s new creative director, probably he’d try to get as many of the house ambassadors in Chanel as he can, non? I wonder if that includes Ayo Edebiri and Jennie.

And also A$AP Rocky, who was also at the show today in his capacity as ambassador and a Met Gala regular along with Rihanna. Rihanna did not attend with Rocky, but she was photographed in Paris last night out for dinner. So she obviously hung back while he made the day trip; they’ve now been in France for a few weeks… possibly heading back to New York over the next few days? If, that is, they’re going. We’re all assuming they’re going given their history at the event and RiRi basically has an open invitation, since she’s at least partly responsible for taking the Met Gala to the next level of pop culture awareness. When I started LaineyGossip, the Met Gala wasn’t common knowledge, most news outlets weren’t even covering it, but in the mid-2010s, that totally changed – because Rihanna kept serving, one banger after another, and also because the invitation list was opened up to more musicians, more athletes, and not just status quo elites. Which Gwyneth Paltrow infamously complained about, LOL. This year though, the two guests who will most certainly be walking that carpet that everyone hates the most aren’t influencers or reality stars or streamers… but a social-climbing billionaire and his wife, neither of them particularly fashionable. And that’s probably the only recourse at this point for those of us who can’t afford to ignore the Met Gala: no matter what they wear, who they’re seated with, how much money they throw at it, they will never be considered anywhere near the neighbourhood of cool as someone like Rihanna but they will be clowned for the desperation.