Fashion and the Catholic Church: a match made in heaven? Sure, the “Heavenly Bodies” theme of this year’s Met Gala stirred some controversy, but by the looks of the turnout, It certainly worked. (Read my colleague Emili’s rundown of the most amazing looks, here).

If you really consider it, religion inspires fashion all the time. The most obvious example is the cross: a symbol of Christianity, it’s been appropriated in many ways, often in spectacular jewelry that’s perhaps more fashion than faith (but that is a debate for another day).

As many symbols of religion are often worn as jewelry, it makes sense to expect the jewelry at this event to be both prominent and exquisite—and those expectations were met ten-, twenty-, one hundredfold.

So once again, I look to the geniuses behind the stars: the personal stylists responsible for the looks that make headlines. Sure, the red carpet photos have a lot to offer—the finished product in all its glory and ready for prime time is truly something to see. But there’s really something special about seeing how it all comes together, and that’s why the behind-the-scenes photos are so intriguing. Plus—and this is huge—often you get to see those sparkling jewels up-close-and-personal.

We don’t all get an invite to the Met Gala (apparently it’s not that fun, anyway), but we do get something better: A front-row seat to all the action before it all happens. It’s like we’re there in the dressing room, getting ready with the celebs! (Okay, not really, but it’s fun to pretend, is it not?) These are some of my favorite behind-the-scenes photos from the 2018 Met Gala, courtesy of the most talented celebrity stylists in the world.