“Stella and I have all the same friends, and we’re always at the same parties, so we thought, ‘Why not just get together and throw one big fabulous bash?’” mused Charlotte Tilbury. That lightbulb moment turned into the beauty mogul and fashion designer Stella McCartney co-hosting their first—and likely not their last—late-night Met Gala after-party. (Turns out, redheads really do have more fun.)
Despite the steady rain, a procession of black town cars pulled up outside Zero Bond in Noho starting at 11 p.m. Models, actors, content creators, and creative directors funneled into the members-only club, following a shared hunch that Tilbury and McCartney’s party might just be the one to beat. By midnight, the room was packed, and quintessentially British Bombay Sapphire G&Ts were flowing freely.
James Corden, Chris Rock, and design legend Jony Ive huddled over trays of mini vegan burgers. Coco Rocha struck pose after pose from the staircase in a dramatic fishtail gown and cane. Tom Brady chatted with Zero Bond owner Scott Sartiano, while Georgia Fowler burst from the elevator flanked by a squad of equally photogenic friends. Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman shared a moment in the foyer. Richard E. Grant, grinning ear to ear, was happily selfie-hopping around the room.
The line for the bathrooms? Surprisingly long. The reason? Inside the gilded space, a mountain of Charlotte Tilbury products awaited for touch-ups, ensuring guests remained camera-ready as Zuri Marley’s DJ set heated up. A branded “What’s in My Bag?” video activation—clearly designed for TikTok—proved a hit with influencers like Meredith Duxbury and Dylan Mulvaney.
Around 1 a.m., McCartney arrived on the fifth floor in a sharp-shouldered mini dress and sky-high heels. Spotting Baz Luhrmann across the room, the longtime friends embraced. “We promised we’d go to each other’s parties,” she told Vogue, explaining why the Australian director had ditched his own soirée just blocks away.
And proving that partying with a beauty obsessive has its perks, Tilbury joined shortly after—immediately zhuzhing McCartney’s hair and refreshing her lip gloss for the flashbulbs. That’s what friends are for.
In true Met Gala fashion, the arrivals didn’t stop. With each elevator ding, another boldfaced name emerged: Anne Hathaway in capri pants and sunglasses, Heidi and Leni Klum on a mother-daughter night out, Stella Maxwell, Bebe Rexha, milliner Stephen Jones in a leather beret. Then came Lauryn Hill, commanding the room in an oxblood trench. “I bow down to you, Lauryn f*cking Hill,” McCartney declared.
Keeping things in the family, McCartney enlisted Gen Z favorite Role Model (with a little nudge from her daughter) to DJ. Ever the cool mom, she joined him on the decks as Troye Sivan’s Rush set the dance floor into motion. Meanwhile, Tilbury twirled through the crowd in a custom black lace McCartney gown, keeping spirits high until well past 3 a.m.
After she slipped away for the night, those who’d helped themselves to a few spritzes of her Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray were still glowing—right up until the lights flicked on.
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