The Best Dressed at The MET BALL 2011!

Hey dolls!

This weekend has felt like a global celebration of the house of Alexander McQueen, past and future. On Friday we swooned at the sight of our future queen wearing Sarah Burton's dream of a dress at the royal wedding and last night, the annual Costume Institute gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrated the work of the late Alexander "Lee" McQueen himself.

Blake Lively was escorted by M. Karl Lagerfeld, who dressed his new muse in a sari-style draped silver dress from the Chanel A/W 2009 haute couture collection.

Given that there wasn't enough McQueen by Lee McQueen to go around, savvy fashionistas opted for Sarah Burton's new designs for the house instead. Estee Lauder model Hilary Rhoda had nabbed a knockout McQueen look for the night - a white silk puff-shouldered tuxedo coat dress from Burton's Spring 2011 collection, accessorised with lace-up ankle boots and a Britannia clutch bag from the same collection.

Even the event's honorary co-chair, actress Salma Hayek (whose husband Francois Henri-Pinault, chairman of the PPR luxury conglomerate, which owns McQueen) wore a peach organza couture gown by Alexander McQueen, from Burton's pre-S/S'11 collection.  

Naomi Campbell, a close friend of McQueen's, chose a white tulle crystal embroidered McQueen couture gown, created especially for her by Burton (officially now the busiest woman in fashion).

Daphne Guinness also showed her support for Lee McQueen's successor. The model/muse/designer, who earlier in the night had got ready for the gala in the windows of Barney's department store, surrounded by curious fans and onlookers, wore a lilac feathered dress, the finale look from S/S'11 and Bridle booties from A/W '11.

Jennifer Lopez wore a fuschia dress with a matching shrug strewn with silk flowers by Gucci, where she is currently a spokesmodel. Gucci is owned by the same luxury conglomerate as the house of Alexander McQueen; diplomatically played J-Lo.

Madonna also chose a design by a stablemate label; from her BFF Stella McCartney. The star-embroidered 1930s-style teal satin gown was more Mrs Wallis Simpson (the heroine of her new movie WE), than Mr Lee McQueen, but the superstar looked more beautiful and elegant than she has in a long time, despite having to fix her shoe on the red carpet. Madonna said simply of the late designer; 'I think he was brilliant. I think his designs were brilliant.'

Others chose dresses in the style of Alexander McQueen, created by rival designers (let's try and imagine how that conversation went). Beyonce's mermaid-style black velvet dress with corsetry detailing, heavy gold embroidery and a sharply tailored high neck, was a distinctive nod to McQueen's last ever collection... even if it was actually created by Emilio Pucci designer Peter Dundas.

Leighton Meester, all slicked back hair and S&M caged leather from Louis Vuitton's A/W '11 collection, was also presumably trying to give a hint of McQueen's darker take on sexiness.

Meanwhile, Miranda Kerr looked set to star in Swan Lake thanks to her ballerina-inspired frock teamed with Nicholas Kirkwood heels.

 Despite currently fronting Balenciaga's Spring 2011 ad campaign, Gisele Bunchen's look will always be more hottie than edgy. Her scarlet strapless fishtail silk gown may have been modelled by Jessica Stam in McQueen's Hitchcock heroine themed A/W' 2005 show with a redhead ghost-of-Marilyn-Monroe style wig and a beaded cardigan looking sharply sexy but sinister, but on Gisele, all hair and tan and teeth, the look was simply va-va-voom. The model paid tribute to McQueen saying 'I was really just impressed with his genius, his beautiful insanity. He really saw women in such a different way.'

And spare a thought for the dressing dilemma faced by Jessica Alba, who is currently pregnant - she opted for a custom made Ralph Lauren strapless gown in irridescent silk.

...Zoe Saldana looking super-pretty in a minimalist pale yellow strapless Calvin Klein Collection gown, and Solange Knowles keeping it wacky in geometric print Dries Van Noten from A/W '11 gown.

Lily Donaldson also did it for the Brits, looking divine in a floor length navy lace gown from Erdem's S/S '11 catwalk - we're loving that quirky collar.

Liv Tyler wore a Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci outfit. WOW.

Rihanna flashed her famous curves in a lace Stella McCartney one-sleeve dress, funked up by her long red locks plaited into a side-swept braid

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