As we prepare for the most fashionable night of the year, a stylist opened up about the less glamorous moments of the Met Gala
It is almost time for the most glamorous night in fashion and we’re just hours away from the biggest stars dazzling us all on the red carpet at the Met Gala.
The first Monday in May has always been saved for the Costume Institute’s annual fundraiser, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, with this year’s theme being Fashion Is Art.
This year’s event will be a little more special as Beyonce is serving as co-host, alongside Venus Williams, Nicole Kidman and Vogue’s Anna Wintour.
Ahead of the exclusive bash, stylist Sarah Nearis spoke to the Mirror about her time working at the event, shedding light on those moments that fans don’t normally get to see.
She served as a styling assistant for an unnamed popstar for two years, running around tirelessly so that the musician could wow us all on the red carpet. Spilling the beans on the huge amount of work that goes into getting stars ready for their big moment, she insisted: “So many logistics go into the Met, from jewellery, undergarments… In LA and New York, you cannot find a pair of Spanx in stock at any Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdales…
“You don’t know what you’re going to need. and then it’s coming into collaboration with hair and makeup too, making sure everything’s cohesive. Everybody wants to have the moment but it’s a lot of moving parts.
“There are so many fittings that go beyond just going into a room and trying on the final look. Every piece of your body is measured.”
In years gone by, social media has been awash with pictures and videos of stars preparing to rock up to the museum, with fans watching and waiting for a glimpse of their outfits as they leave their hotel rooms.
Touching on the frantic few moments before stars land on that carpet, Sarah revealed that there can be accessories, jewellery and sunglasses being flung all over the place to ensure that moment in front of photographers is as seamless as possible.
She said: “It’s stressful because you want to have the most iconic piece ever, but you’re also dealing with every shoe brand, every jewellery designer is reaching out to you … Ultimately it comes down to the stylist and the talent, their vision and what they feel comfortable in, what works best for them.
“But it is stressful because there are just so many elements that you don’t think about. Are they going to be able to use the restroom? Did we have the right undergarments? Is the jewellery going to be too heavy? Are they going to change for the afterparty? Does a guard need to be with them for the jewellery for the night?
“The tailors are the unsung heroes of the Met Gala. They don’t sleep. They make everything look seamless when a lot of these pieces are probably being finished hours before the celebrity gets into it.”
There is one particular trend that the celebrity stylist has noticed from observing the last few Met Galas, explaining that we’re seeing more stars struggle to actually walk up the stairs, with a lot of extra planning now going into exactly how they can have their shining moment in front of the photographers.
“We’re in the era of being snatched, everybody wants super clean lines, and to look as slender as possible,” she suggested. “That doesn’t always make for the most efficient gown when it comes to walking up the stairs. Some of my most favourite images are when they’re walking up the stairs effortlessly, they’re turned around and are looking back at the photographers.
“I just have a vision of Sarah Jessica Parker doing that. You don’t see that as much now because there’s so much structure to everything. Every pose, every step is manufactured because it’s difficult for them to walk.”
Sarah has been styling the stars for many years, working regularly with names including model Camille Kostek, actress Anna Cathcart and Patricia Heaton for recent events. As well as working as a stylist at the Met for some years, she is also a big fan of the event in general.
However, reflecting on some of her least favourite looks from years gone by, she revealed that model Hailey Bieber can sometimes stray from the theme. “I love her to death, I’m a Hailey Bieber supporter,” she clarified, “but I don’t love when people just show up in a slip dress or something that has nothing to do with the theme. They just use it as another red carpet moment, and she did that the past few years.
“I love her, but this carpet is supposed to be about expression, creativity and imagination, so I don’t like when people don’t take advantage of that. No shade.
“A lot of times you do see people and you’re like, “How does this fit?” They just wanted to look hot, sexy or pretty. This is supposed to be about costumes, not so much another red carpet.
“It’s entertainment. It’s supposed to make you think about something else, it’s supposed to leave you breathless and really take a step back. The Met should make you stop and think, “Wow, how did they fit the theme?” Everybody has their own interpretations.”
When asked about some looks that she did enjoy, Sarah praised “fearless” Rihanna ’s gold Guo Pei gown in 2015, which included a gigantic train that promptly got turned into a meme.
Celebrating country singer Kasey Musgraves, she also said Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker was always on her best dressed lists. It is rumoured that the host has to approve every single look that adorns the red carpet, but Sarah claimed there was one famous face who went to the Met one year and, “based on what she wore, Anna said she’s no longer allowed at the Met … after that Anna said no”.
“I’m 99% positive that she does have to approve the look and she also does have to approve the guest list, also,” she told us. “Some of these girls can be a little risqué. We know that Anna’s more conservative. So, you wonder who and how she picks what she approves….”
Predicting what we could see on Monday, she added: “Since the theme is Fashion as art, we’ve been seeing a revival of vintage and re-worn pieces – with Kim Kardashian and the Marilyn Monroe dress. It has been a theme where people are re-wearing pieces just to be more sustainable. We’re going to be seeing more vintage, even if it’s a re-worn couture within the past 3 to 5 years – maybe styled differently or just tailored differently.
“People are really going to go big for this one, since it’s a little bit more broad. We’re going to see volume, different textures and materials. It will be a loud carpet. Especially with The Devil Wears Prada, people are just wanting to go a little bit more over the top this year, which I think is always fun.”
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