Who says you can't be thrifty at the Met Gala? Just ask SZA. The artist's exquisite, golden gown, worn on May 4, was crafted entirely from eBay finds.
"We worked with a vintage dealer," designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla explained to Vogue, "who sourced over a hundred yards of yellow fabrics in various materials—tulle, taffeta, silk faille, and beadwork on lace."
To perfectly capture this year's theme of "Costume Art" and dress code "Fashion is Art," Emily looked to the Wiener Werkstätte—a pre-war design collective rooted in craftsmanship and the natural world. She discovered that Viennese artists often filled their studios with fresh flowers, which Emily revealed "aligned with SZA's spontaneity and love of the natural world. Her affinity for moths, butterflies, and other insects, alongside her world travels and interest in specific deities, played a significant role in shaping the final look."
Thus, SZA's look included a floral headpiece and butterfly wings that appeared when she raised her arms. The South Asian elements within the outfit were also influenced by SZA's (real name Solána Imani Rowe) recent trip to India.
"One of the things I laid out during the process was floral appliqués cut from remnants of saris," the designer explained. "These remnants melded well with antique rhinestones and cabochons from Europe, quartz beads from New York, and hand-painted silk wings from my studio."
But SZA's showstopping gown wasn't the only Met Gala look that featured material from an unusual source. Sabrina Carpenter's Dior dress was covered in celluloid film strips from Audrey Hepburn's iconic movie Sabrina. The look, styled by Jared Ellner, featured intricate beading, a see-through black skirt with a high slit, and an elaborate, jeweled headpiece on top of Sabrina's blonde curls—done into an old Hollywood hairstyle for the evening. As she previously told Vogue, "My look for every year has been totally different."
