Stars Gathered at the UTA Pre-Met Gala Party: “It’s Like Christmas Eve!”

Reported by Vogue.

The night before the Met Gala, Manhattan doesn't sleep — it parties strategically. United Talent Agency hosted its fourth annual pre-Met soirée Sunday evening at Nubeluz, Chef José Andrés' sky-high cocktail lounge on the 50th floor of The Ritz-Carlton New York Nomad, pulling together a client roster that read like a cross-industry fever dream: actors, musicians, athletes, influencers, and the people who represent all of them. "The Met Gala guest list has always had a mixture of fashion and art, but also film, music, and sport," UTA UK partner and head Darnell Strom told Vogue. "Being an agency that represents some of the most influential people across all of those areas, it's a nice nod to all the things that we do."

Charli D'Amelio arrived early and arrived sharp — off-the-shoulder black mini, pointed-toe pumps, hair slicked into a half-up style that meant business. Karlie Kloss followed in a silver lace-trimmed slip dress, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade took a beat on the terrace to catch the golden-hour skyline, and Lisa Rinna — vintage Rodarte sequins, matching boots, dancing at the marble bar — told Vogue she stayed in the city specifically for the party circuit while her husband Harry Hamlin flew home. Her daughter Amelia Hamlin would be walking into the Gala the next morning. Rinna's priorities were clearly in order.

The New Guard Shows Up

Newly signed UTA client Janelle Monáe made the kind of entrance that renders a room briefly silent: oversized blazer, white collared blouse, black trousers, leather gloves, a tie, and a white army-style hat — menswear as theater. Her rationale for attending the Gala itself was less about spectacle and more about substance. "Artisans spend hours, days, and months crafting," she said, "and I'm all about putting in the hours and the work to build something beautiful." Nicolas Hoult held court on the velvet sofas with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Romeo Beckham slipped through quietly with girlfriend Kim Turnbull, and actor Tyriq Withers found Chase Sui Wonders — a 2026 Met Gala committee member — for what sounded like the most excitable first-timer pep talk of the evening. "Baby's first Met!" Withers announced, going in for a high five.

Sui Wonders, for her part, summed up the entire pre-Gala energy with precision. "You can tell everyone has butterflies — it's like Christmas Eve," she told Vogue. "I now have a greater appreciation for this process, the fine-tuning, and what it takes to arrive on those steps and look your best." Her most anticipated moment of Met Monday? Seeing Beyoncé in person for the first time. Understandable. Jon Batiste showed up around 10 p.m. and quietly extended the night past last call, because of course he did.

The pre-Met party isn't just an excuse to wear sequins 24 hours early — it's where the anticipation actually lives, raw and unfiltered, before the stairs and the cameras make everything official.

Read the original at Vogue.