Rome wasn't built in a day.
Apr 28, 2023 4:15amBy Lucy Cocoran
Celebrities are known for pulling out all the red stops when it comes to nailing a red carpet occasion and creating a memorable look, but the Met Gala? That's a whole different ballgame.
A far cry from your average event, the Gala calls for hair, makeup, theatrics, optics and much, much more. It's not enough to arrive in a dress, every single detail, right down to the last thread has to be carefully thought out, which can take months, if not the entire year, to plan.
If you've ever wondered what exactly goes into Met Gala prep from the makeup, hair and fashion side of things, keep reading.
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Pre-Gala Beauty Treatments
From LED therapy to intense facials, celebrities spare no expense on their skin in the leadup to the Met. Preparation actually starts months before the big night, with many keeping their skin specialists on speed dial to ensure a clear, glowing complexion.
Iván Pol is said skin specialist for many A-listers, including Kate Hudson, Zoë Kravitz and Karlie Kloss who all attend his exclusive skin spa prior to hitting the red carpet. His signature treatment, known as 'The Beauty Sandwich', is known for smoothing skin texture and helping with wrinkle reduction and tightening. Using radio frequency, the treatment provides a much-needed refreshing to have skin shimmering before stepping in front of the cameras.
Hailey Bieber is a fan of Dr. Barbara Sturm's Instant Glow Facial, which is said to include 'cleansing, exfoliation, extraction and a lymphatic and firming massage.
Winnie Harlow and Adut Akech have both paid visits to Soma Spa to receive the 24k Gold Facial & Oxygen HydraFacial which promises to suck impurities from the skin while locking in moisture.
Celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas has hosted the likes of Lili Reinhart and Constance Wu, who opted for the Supernova Facial and Triple Crown Facial — a hydrating, exfoliating treatment offering microdermabrasion, face contouring and hydration.
Fashion Preparation
According to celebrity stylist, Jordan Foster, who has worked on several Met Galas (including Ashley Graham's 2019 look), says that outfit preparation starts well in advance of the event itself.
"The ideal preparation for the Met Gala starts weeks, if not months, before the event. However, as everyone knows, Anna Wintour approves each guest and often who they are attending with. This decision sometimes isn't made until much closer to the event, which means time to scramble and figure it out. Even when you have weeks to plan, things still usually come together at the last minute in the days leading up to the Met Gala and you're usually still perfecting things as the celebrity is getting out of the car to walk the red carpet. It's like the Oscars times 100," she told ELLE Australia.
As for how involved each celebrity is in their final look, it comes down to personal choice, but they put a lot of trust in their stylist.
"A celebrity can be as involved or uninvolved as they want in choosing and designing their Met Gala looks," Jordan explained. "Celebrities, for the most part though, hire stylists to spearhead the project and put their trust in them. It's usually the stylist who is liaising with the designer or brands and guiding the client through the process. If a celebrity is attending with a designer and that designer is making them a custom look, then generally that designer will have a vision and you trust them on it. The stylist can make tweaks and usually accessorise as they see fit. It's a true collaborative effort. Just as with any other event, celebrities just want to look their best, feel their best, and hopefully have a look that is loved by all!"
How Important Is It To Stick To The Theme?
"It's definitely important for celebrities to stick to the theme in my opinion. Sometimes the theme can be more challenging in terms of interpretation and in those cases you at the very least give a nod to the theme with hair/makeup or accessories," stylist Jordan Foster added.
"In my experience, I've never had a theme completely dictate the look except for in 2019 when I styled Ashley Graham who wore a custom Dapper Dan look and attended with him. We really went with the theme in every way possible for that look. The theme should be respected though in my opinion. Hundreds of people work on the Met Gala and a lot of thought goes into the theme and the exhibition that is part of it. People often forget the Gala is a charity event to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum which is home to the yearly fashion exhibition the theme of the gala is tied to. "
How Long Does It Take To Get Ready On The Day?
"Preparation for the Met Gala on the day of starts in the morning and a 16 hour day can go by in what feels like one hour," Jordan explained. "Don't forget that celebrities also attend after parties and the looks for that are just as important to the team. So you are prepping for two looks, not just one.
"Often a celebrity is borrowing jewellery worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars and those pieces cannot be borrowed any longer than the event itself. Last minute decisions on shoes and bag are often left to the day of as well. Hair and makeup begins in the early afternoon and any last minute alterations are being done the same day. In 2019, for Ashley Graham's Met Gala look we had someone gluing rhinestones to her tights and gloves and another person sewing her into her dress literally as she was trying to walk out the door. The day is complete chaos but it's so fun and so incredibly satisfying when you see the celebrity walking the red carpet."
Beauty Preparation
Most artists will create a mood board which they'll go over with their celebrity, working together to create a look that they're both happy with. On the night, depending on how intense the end result is, it can take anywhere between 1-3 hours to create the finished look. Beauty is usually a secondary feature to the fashion, which is arguably the main event, but sometimes hair and makeup has the ability to steal the show — it just depends what look they're going for.
Many celebrities have a go-to stylist whom they trust, and they're understandably the go-to for Met Gala looks. Kim Kardashian always has Mario Dedivanovic around for major events, while Nina Park and Kelsey Deenihan are in high demand from the A-listers, too.
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