No Place Like HEIMA: Yves St. Laurent

Fashion and Hollywood superstars turned the red carpet at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art into a galaxy of glamour for the Costume Institute’s gala opening of the 2008 exhibition, “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy.”

The $7,500-a-head gala extravaganza is the Big Apple’s party of the year, easily rivaling even the Oscars for style and A-list pazzazz.This year’s honorary chairman, the Italian designer, Giorgio Armani (a Flash Gordon fan) greeted guests with his co-chairs, the actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and American Vogue’s, editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, the “wonder woman” behind the event.

Clooney joked that he had wanted to dress as Batman, but the costume was already in the exhibition, so he settled for a midnight blue Giorgio Armani tuxedo.

Anna Wintour, shimmering in silver cyber-couture, by Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, declared: “I am Storm, (the Marvel Comics mutant who can control the weather), that’s why we’ve had sunshine all day. I stopped the rain.”

Hundreds of paparazzi and television crews screamed the names of every celebrity as they braved the onslaught of cameras and microphones.

The designer Marc Jacobs confessed to wearing Superman underwear beneath his tuxedo.

Inside the museum, guests were dwarfed by 30ft statues of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, contemporary versions of the ancient superheroes sculpted in marble in the museum’s Graeco-Roman gallery.

The “Superheroes” exhibition opens with a mirrored illusion of Clark Kent morphing into Superman and features radical catwalk creations by some of the world’s top designers and comic book costumes from Hollywood blockbusters such as Spiderman and Batman.

Pride of place is given to the heavy-metal suit-of-armour worn by Robert Downey Jr in “Iron Man”, the new movie which took more than £50 million at the box office on its opening weekend. Dinner was served in the Met’s 15 B.C. Egyptian Temple of Dendur, with tables arranged amidst massive sculptures of 'Kryptonite’.

Donnatella and daughter Alegra Versace

Victoria and David Beckham in Armani

Scarlett Johansson walked the red carpet with a high wattage smile in a strapless Dolce & Gabbana tulle dress accompanied by the famed D&G duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

Johansson looked pretty in an ankle length dress with a bustier top and full skirt below. She accessorized with her mega rock engagement ring, a tiara and nude peep toe pumps to match her dress.

Her triple shade hair was loosely tied at the back with a few long strands cascading on the shoulders.

She used a shade lighter foundation than needed which made her face look too white, but her gorgeous smile overshadowed any flaws in the makeup or hair.

Jennifer Lopez wearing a one-shouldered aqua Alberta Ferretti floor length gown with an embellished neckline. The asymmetrical pleating and the prominent sparkling neckline of Lopez's dress took the focus away from her post baby figure. The color of the dress was flattering for the new mom.

Her hair was set in voluminous large waves.She accessorized with beautiful diamond earrings and a chunky bracelet on her right wrist and carried a silver sparkling clutch. Her makeup matched well with the rest of the ensemble.