The Making of a Met Ball Outfit
our creative director, Jenna Lyons, shares the inspiration behind her
outfit for the 2012 Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan MuseumJenna and head women’s designer Tom Mora walk the red carpetPink Lady: “I felt I had to do something in shocking pink because that’s what Schiaparelli is known for. I sketched the design for this skirt on the back of a piece of paper during a meeting one day about two weeks before the ball. Honda, our patternmaker, draped and stitched the satin right here in the office.”
Shock Factor: “There’s a peplum underneath because I wanted that articulated silhouette I had seen on the pages of Schiaparelli’s Shocking Life. The bow at the waist has wire in it to hold its shape and keep it nice and stiff.”Above: Jenna’s design sketch; Shocking Life by Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli.
Below: details from a Schiaparelli design from spring 1947.Denim Diehard: “I didn’t want to wear duchesse silk satin with something sparkly or pearls. I am who I am—so I took it down a notch with denim. We pulled a J.Crew jean jacket and then had it fit and re-tailored to raise the waistband. I’m also not really wearing a shirt underneath—the collar and cuffs were custom-made by my custom shirtmaker and were stitched into the jacket.”
Fuck a Met gala but this is a really solid example of inspired personal style. A+
