At the 2021 Met Gala, singer Tyla wore a unique Balmain gown made entirely of sand. The dress, a stunning and innovative design, required Tyla to be carried up the museum steps due to its weight and delicate construction. Balmain’s creative director, Olivier Rousteing, was seen adjusting the dress after the event to fit Tyla’s body better, showcasing the attention to detail and customization involved in creating the sand gown.
The dress, inspired by the theme “Garden of Time” for the Met Gala, was made with three colors of sand and shimmering micro crystals, transforming Tyla into a walking hourglass. In a nod to the theme of the event, the dress served as a handbag, adding to its unique and intricate design. The dress’s structured bodice was custom-made using a plaster body mold, while the organza train required post-carpet tailoring to adapt to Tyla’s movements.
While many gala gowns limit movement due to their avant-garde designs, Tyla’s sand dress represents a new wave of innovation in fashion. Balmain designer Eddy Anemian was seen adjusting the bust of the gown, which was skintight on Tyla, to ensure she could move more comfortably. Despite the practical challenges of wearing such an elaborate gown, Tyla remained unfazed, expressing her excitement about the dress and the event on the red carpet.
Rousteing explained that he had created the mold of Tyla’s body months prior with the intention of displaying the gown in the museum after the gala. The theme of “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” resonated with the gown’s design, as it aimed to redefine boundaries and transform a transient material like sand into an everlasting masterpiece. Rousteing praised Tyla for pushing the boundaries of music, much like Balmain pushes the boundaries of fashion.
The intricate design and technical prowess required to create the sand gown demonstrate Rousteing’s commitment to challenging the norms of fashion and creating transformative works of art. The gown is not only a tribute to the passage of time but also a nod to the cutting-edge designs featured in the Costume Institute’s latest installation. Rousteing expressed his admiration for Tyla as the perfect embodiment of imagination, innovation, and the transformative power of art, making her the ideal choice to wear the groundbreaking sand dress at the Met Gala.
Overall, Tyla’s sand gown at the Met Gala showcased an unprecedented level of creativity, innovation, and technical skill in the world of fashion. From the custom plaster body mold to the intricate sand and crystal design, the dress pushed the boundaries of traditional gala gowns and captured the essence of the event’s theme. Rousteing’s vision of redefining fashion through transformative art was exemplified in Tyla’s gown, solidifying her as a muse for his groundbreaking designs.
