Look, the Met Gala may technically end once the carpet clears, but we all know the real fashion circus continues at the after-parties where the celebs go from “museum chic” to “midnight mischief.”

And this year? It was giving everything.

From Boom at The Standard Hotel in the West Village (AKA the after-after party HQ) to all the fashion house-hosted hangouts, New York turned into one big glittering playground for pop stars, club kids, icons  and even, yes, the mayor of NYC. Because apparently, Eric Adams doesn’t sleep during Met Monday either.

Let’s start with Boom. The rooftop club where the city’s skyline met designer sunglasses at midnight. Spotted: Mohogany, Burna Boy, and Shaboozey looking like they just walked off a fashion editorial shoot, not the Met carpet. The energy? Effortless cool. The fits? Loosened up and ready to party. Boom isn’t called Boom for nothing  it was literally booming with beats, bass, and bold-faced names till sunrise.

Meanwhile, Simone Biles proved gymnasts can turn up and turn looks. Jenna Ortega floated into the party like the goth fairy queen of our dreams, and Lisa (yes, BLACKPINK Lisa) had the room collectively gasping  because when Lisa enters a room, you feel it.

There were outfit changes, there were shots passed on silver trays, and somewhere in the chaos, someone said they saw two A-listers battling it out in a Vogue dance circle. No confirmation yet, but it sounds like something that would happen when you mix couture with cocktails.

It wasn’t just celebs  the guest list blended every kind of icon: designers, muses, TikTokers with 5M followers and no idea what the dress code was, and fashion editors who had already filed their Met Gala takes but were still out for “one last drink.” Classic.

And just when you thought the night couldn’t get wilder, someone said, “the mayor is here,” and we all collectively blinked. But hey it’s New York. Stranger things have happened on a Monday night in May.

The Met carpet may be where the drama begins, but the after-party is where the magic happens. No rules, no themes, just music, fashion chaos, and the kind of 3 a.m. dancefloor bonding that makes headlines the next morning.

See you next year  same time, different chaos.

-Khizra Khan