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At the helm are two chefs who met at Moto, the Michelin-starred pioneer of haute cuisine.

His Chinois Chicken Salad, named for his Santa Monica restaurant Chinois on Main, has been on the menu since 1983 and remains one of his most popular recipes; proof that even haute cuisine can’t help but bow to the crunchy-sweet majesty of a really good salad.

To some, they conjure ideas of haute cuisine fuss — dainty smears, baby food textures, or unnecessary embellishment.

While the event is associated with head-turning haute couture donned by the most popular celebrities — think Tyla’s Balmain sand dress, Blake Lively’s Statue of Liberty-inspired Versace gown or Rihanna’s papal get-up by John Galliano — the annual gala serves as a charity dinner for the museum’s Costume Institute and coincides with a fashion exhibit that shares the theme of the event.

“From the leather and chain looks to the queens in long black and yellow spiral dresses to the woman dancing on a speaker in a gold sequin romper outfit, everywhere I looked people felt hot and haute and danced with abandon,” he says.