Stars hit the red carpet as Met Gala returns after 2-year hiatus

New York is done with dressing down: the splashy black-tie Met Gala returned Monday, with a cohort of Gen-Z’s glitterati hosting the A-lister bash famed for its over-the-top panache — and, despite the pandemic, this year the fashion was so fierce one guest wielded a sword. The crowd of some 400 actors, athletes, poets and performers — all of whom were either vaccinated or had tested negative for Covid-19 — was largely maskless on the cream carpet, defying the global coronavirus pandemic that forced the cancellation of last year’s event.