The Rioutous Met Gala After-Party Went On Until 6 AM

By the time you had your Tuesday morning coffee, it’s likely that the celebrations have just come to a close at The Box. Though the Lower East Side windowless boîte may be known for a loose approach to last call times, when one adds a slew of boldfaced names to the mix, those rules are tossed right out onto the Bowery with abandon.

Hosted by Doja Cat and Diddy, partygoers were invited to a kickoff time of midnight-ish. But it was not until 2:30 AM, sporting a pared-down version of his earlier red carpet look by his own Sean John label, that the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy crossed the threshold to thunderous applause and took the stage to sing along to his hits like “Last Night” before turning over the microphone to French Montana. (Diddy’s Ciroc and D’USSE and Armand De Brignac Champagne were served, naturally.) Sneaking in through the back was Ms. Cat, just a few minutes later, who changed out of her feline facial prosthetics and glistening, feathered Oscar de la Renta gown to a more practical blush, beaded number. Her cat ears remained, along with her steadfast dedication to a perfected “Meow” soundbite.

Nearby were many a couple—Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny, Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse, and Cardi B and Offset—but Jared Leto and his oversized Choupette costume proved to be the undisputed, showstopping duo of the evening. Paris and Nicky Hilton took turns trying on the detachable head and passing it around for others to test drive. All were lured to the scene by the party’s organizer Richie Akiva.

As fate would have it, though, and as any concentration of celebrity usually warrants, a swirling storm of onlookers gathered at the entrance to the long-standing late-night hideout, prompting several unplanned guest appearances from the New York City Police Department. So much so, that the celebration took on a clandestine, closed-door quality that kept many out in the cold, but those inside celebrating until daybreak.