Stars dress for Wintour-hosted, Prada-themed gala

NEW YORK (AP) — It's known as one of the most glamorous red carpets of the year, with movie stars, models and even a few star quarterbacks putting on their most fashion-forward outfits for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala.

Photos: Red Carpet Style: 2012 Met Gala

Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Heidi Klum, Tim Tebow and Florence Welch were among those to weave through the tented grand Fifth Avenue entrance to celebrate the new fashion exhibit that compares and contrasts the designs of two Italian women: Miuccia Prada, who wore a pantsuit to the event, and the late Elsa Schiaparelli.

Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, serves as hostess of the event, and she wore a white gown with lobster-motif gold embroidery by Prada. Carey Mulligan, Wintour's co-chairwoman this year, wore a Prada cocktail dress with metallic fish-scale beading, and Gwyneth Paltrow had on a steel-blue Prada dress with heavily embellished pockets.

Among others donning Prada: Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman and Linda Evangelista.

Unlike other big celebrity red carpets, where designers just want to hear the stars utter their names as the creators of their dresses, they are the A-list dates here. Michael Kors escorted Hilary Swank, wearing a red halter gown; Parker, in a metallic floral-print gown with long sleeves and belt, came with Valentino; and singer Lana Del Ray, cloaked in a long black cape, came with Joseph Altuzarra.

Jason Wu brought model Karlie Kloss, who wore a mostly hot-pink gown with an underlay of black beaded lace; Karolina Kurkova, in a rose-gold sequin gown and beaded cap, attended with Rachel Zoe; and Doutzen Kroes wore a one-shouldered, black-and-white gown as she walked arm-in-arm with Roland Mouret.

January Jones could have stopped traffic in her bright yellow custom Atelier Versace bustier gown, and model Coco Rocha also went the bright route, matching pink curls in her hair to the tank top she wore under a vintage taxi-yellow suit.

Other fashion moments:

— Scarlett Johansson in a custom bustier gown embroidered with gold thread and pearls and a long tulle skirt by Dolce & Gabbana.

— Ashley Greene in off-the-shoulder Grecian gown in white silk with chiffon pleats and fringe by Donna Karan, who also made Nina Dobrev's black-and-gold asymmetrical gown with a pooling train inspired by a gown Paltrow used as a costume in "Great Expectations."

— Bundchen in a high-slit black gown by Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci, who also dressed Liv Tyler, Kanye West, Rooney Mara, Alicia Keys and Beyonce, who more a sheer black gown with strategic beading and a purple ostrich-feather hemline.

— Jessica Chastain in a corseted blue satin dress with crystals, pearls and crinoline by Louis Vuitton. Vuitton, designed by Marc Jacobs (who wore a black lace get-up), also outfitted Dakota Fanning in a lavender organza gown.

— Cameron Diaz in a long-sleeve, crystal-fringe embroidered gown by Stella McCartney, who also dressed Kristin Wiig in an orange lace dress.

— Welch in a cream-colored, organza tiered dress by Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton, who also dressed Cate Blanchett in a black feather gown with ostrich hem.

— Rihanna in a black leather gown with crocodile-style embossing by Tom Ford, who additionally wardrobed Justin Timberlake and Brady.

— Sofia Vergara in a silver-embroidered illusion column dress with fan-style pleated tulle bodice by Marchesa, which also dressed Leighton Meester in a gold embroidered illusion dress.

— Amy Adams in a cream one-shoulder silk chiffon gown with black velvet insert from Giambattista Valli Haute Couture.

— Emily Blunt in salmon pink gown with cutouts by Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, who also dressed Rosario Dawson. Klein's menswear creative director Italo Zucchelli wardrobed Victor Cruz and Amar'e Stoudemire.

— Camilla Belle in a delicate ivory tulle beaded dress from Ralph Lauren, who also dressed Michelle Dockery of "Downton Abbey" and Tebow.

— Renee Zellweger in a black illusion gown with an open back by Emilio Pucci.

— Katharine McPhee in a coral-colored, square-neck embroidered gown.

— Jessica Pare in a gold-and-bronze, second-skin sequined gown by L'Wren Scott, who came with boyfriend Mick Jagger.

— Amber Heard in an orchid-colored bustier gown by Zac Posen.

— Dianna Agron in a jade-green gown by Carolina Herrera with a peplum and snakeskin wrap belt.

— Brooklyn Decker in a slate-blue pleated gown with floral appliques by Tory Burch.

— Lea Michele in a blue gown with plunging neckline by Diane von Furstenberg.

— Claire Danes in J. Mendel white silk asymmetrical gown with embroidery.

— Ginnifer Goodwin in a Monique Lhuillier tangerine silk chiffon cap sleeve gown.

— Kirsten Dunst in an orange-and-cream, double-breasted, jacket-style gown by Rodarte.