NEW YORK (AP) — Before guests make it to the Met Gala, there are the red carpets before the carpet — otherwise known as the parade of departures from the various New York hotels that host gala guests and their teams for preparations before fashion’s big night.

The Mark Hotel is perhaps the best-known pre-gala host. Located a handful of blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the hotel has its own press area and accompanying fan frenzy. Fans pack the sidewalk across the street, craning over barricades to catch a glimpse of attendees climbing into waiting sprinter vans.