The naked dress had a moment this party season, but last night Lil Nas X took the popular trend to a whole next level.
As an ode to late Karl Lagerfeld’s pet cat Choupette, the rapper took to the red carpet wearing nothing but a metallic Dior thong, silver body paint and head-to-toe bejewelled Swarovski crystals and pearls - complete with a matching mask, fangs, platform boots and a claw-like manicure.
“It’s really taken to new, three-dimensional crystal and pearl levels,” makeup artist and creator of the feline look Pat McGrath told Vogue. She also added that the nine-hour-long creation required people to “fly all over the globe to find all of the pieces”, including “couture lace from 25 years ago” and “crystals from Austria”.
His last Met Gala was in 2023 where he sported a three-in-one look designed by Donatella Versarce. Composed of a dramatic gold cape, a glimmering golden suit of armour and - unearth all that - a completely bedazzled gold sequin bodysuit, it appears the 24-year-old musician has a fondness for sparkles. As does McGarth, who created a similar red head-to-toe bejewelled look for Doja Cat at the Schiaparelli F/W 2023 Haute Couture earlier this year.
It wasn’t the only homage to Choupette of the night, with Jared Leto donning a scarily lifelike cat suit and Doja Cat channelling the blue cream Birman via a silvery hooded Oscar de la Renta gown complete with feline facial prosthetics, cat ears and talon nails.