Analysis of Google search data reveals that online searches for ‘wedding dress’ exploded by 122 percent on Monday, as stars gathered at the Met Gala 2023 wearing looks dedicated to designer Karl Lagerfeld, imitating his black and white colour palette and iconic Chanel brides. A new finding by fashion experts Karen Millen reveals that online interest in wedding dresses more than doubled the average volume in the first few hours after celebrities took to the Met Gala red carpet, reflecting an unprecedented spike in searches as the public was inspired by looks worn by celebrities such as Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Gisele Bündchen. Bridal wear was a key trend at this year’s Met Gala, worn by many celebrities on the red carpet for this year’s theme: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. Online interest in ‘white floral dress’ and ‘white dress’ shot up by 172 percent and 163 percent, as monochrome gowns in black and white trended this year in reference to Lagerfeld’s iconic style. Met Gala mainstay Rihanna arrived two hours late wearing a Valentino white floral jacket featuring Lagerfeld’s favourite camellias and a wedding dress with a long train, accessorized with white sunglasses and giant lashes. Florence Pugh appeared in Valentino alongside the brand’s creative director Pier Paolo Piccioli wearing an off-white gown with a plunging neckline tied together with a black bow featuring a dramatic train. She finished the look with a towering black headpiece on top of a clean buzzcut. Searches for ‘dress with train’ soared by 271 percent shortly after the event. Chanel was one of the main labels to appear on celebrities this year. Dua Lipa stole the show in the Chanel 1992 tweed wedding gown worn originally by Claudia Schiffer. Gisele Bündchen wore a vintage Chanel wedding dress and feathered cape. It was her first Met Gala appearance since divorcing Tom Brady. This year’s theme, which prompted many Chanel and Chanel-inspired looks, caused searches for ‘Chanel wedding dress’ to skyrocket by 1,110 percent. Anne Hathaway wore Versace’s iconic safety pin dress in white tweed with a matching jacket. South Korean supermodel Sora Choi’s debut in a billowing Thom Browne suit-inspired tweed coat dress also nodded to the late designer’s signature style. Kim Kardashian was pictured in a naked dress covered in pearls and a dramatic off-white coat. Tweed and pearls were famously associated with Lagerfeld and Chanel and searches for ‘pearl dress,’ ‘tweed dress’ and ‘tweed jacket’ increased by 394 percent, 374 percent and 193 percent on the day of the event. Nicola Peltz Beckham wore an ivory gown tied at the waist with a black bow and accessorized with a statement crucifix necklace and pearls. Maya Hawke wore a glittering white floral cape and minidress by Prada. Alia Bhatt stepped out in a Chanel-inspired Prabal Gurung pearl bridal gown. Penelope Cruz wore a Chanel wedding gown with a shimmering embroidered sheer hood. Blackpink’s Jennie Kim appeared in a white Chanel minidress, causing searches for ‘white minidress’ to skyrocket by 564 percent. Ava Max took to the red carpet in an ivory Christian Siriano gown, which, according to the designer’s Instagram post, consisted of over 6,000 crystals and pearls. Elle Fanning was a boho bride in a white lace Vivienne Westwood gown and a black jacket, accompanied by a fresh white bouquet of flowers and a matching flower crown. Her look was a nod to when Lagerfeld photographed Fanning for his ‘Little Black Jacket’ book when she was 13. Sheer dresses dominated the Met Gala last year and again this time around. Rita Ora, Gigi Hadid, Billie Eilish and Emily Ratajkowski were among the guests pictured in sheer black gowns, causing searches for ‘sheer dress’ to soar by 122 percent. General bridal wear-related terms also shot up during the Met Gala: ‘bridal shoe’ searches increased by 209 percent, as did searches for ‘bridal dresses’ by 103 percent. A spokesperson for Karen Millen commented on the findings: “Wedding dresses never fail to capture our attention, and this year’s Met Gala theme ensured that bridal wear was front and centre, in honour of Karl Lagerfeld and the iconic Chanel brides. This year’s theme naturally inspired guests to embrace Lagerfeld’s bridal designs into their looks, and white was clearly the biggest trend. These findings show how influential the Met Gala is on fashion trends worldwide, with searches for bridal wear, white, tweed and pearls soaring during fashion’s biggest night.”