Tyla and Her Balmain Sand Dress Had to Be Carried Up the Met ...

One of the Met Gala 2024’s most memorable looks is also one of its most ephemeral: While many of the attendees at the ultra-exclusive event Monday evening latched onto the floral aspect of the evening’s “the Garden of Time” dress code, Tyla leaned into the concept of time for her Met Gala debut look.

The singer wore a Balmain gown created by the label’s artistic director Olivier Rousteing, sculpted based on a cast of her body and then created out of three different colors of sand and micro-crystal studs to add sparkle to every minute movement the South African singer makes. The strapless dress flows down into an organza mermaid train.

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Rousteing shared some of the gown’s origin story with Vogue ahead of the red carpet.

“The inspiration behind this creation stemmed from a desire to redefine boundaries and transform a transient material into an everlasting masterpiece,” he told Vogue. “The idea of sculpting a garment from something as ephemeral as sand ignited my imagination and I could not be happier with the end result.”

Tyla had to be carried up the steps of the Met to protect the integrity of the fragile dress. Asked by E!’s team on the red carpet whether she’d be able to sit down during the event, Tyla cheerfully proclaimed, “Who cares, guys, I’m cute!”

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The singer also carried an hourglass-shaped purse by Balmain, further underlining her outfit’s ties to the event’s time theme. For jewelry, Tyla wore earrings and two rings by John Hardy.

Catch up on all the looks, the best-dressed guests, and expert news and commentary around fashion’s biggest night with Vanity Fair’s live coverage of the Met Gala 2024.