Tyla traded water for sand at the 2024 Met Gala.
For her inaugural Met, the singer turned to Balmain to help her bring her fantastical look to life. Latching onto time as the operative word from the night’s Garden of Time dress code, the Balmain team fashioned Tyla a dress made of sand—a nod to the sands of time.
Olivier Rousteing, creative director of Balmain, was particularly intrigued by the idea of ephemerality for Tyla’s dress. “The inspiration behind this creation stemmed from a desire to redefine boundaries and transform a transient material into an everlasting masterpiece,” he tells 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.”
“We were looking to do something creative, something completely different for my first Met Gala,” Tyla says. “So when Balmain showed me the idea and sketch, I just knew it was perfect. The idea was crazy, and I loved it. I’m excited and a little nervous, but I’m looking forward to having a fun night at The Met!”
The strapless dress was made to hug every inch of the singer’s body before flaring out into an organza mermaid train. Made with three colors of sand and mixed with micro crystal studs, the dress shone with Tyla’s every move. In another wink to the night’s theme, she also carried the Balmain hourglass clutch.
Though it’s her first Met, Tyla is already proving herself a fashion force. For the 2024 Grammys, the South African singer donned a pistachio Atelier Versace number held together by Swarovski crystal-dotted fishnet. Now, Rousteing anoints her a true fashion star.
“Tyla pushes the boundaries of music in a similar way that I push the boundaries of fashion with Balmain,” he says. “I could not think of a better woman to wear this look that I feel is a manifestation of imagination, innovation, and the transformative power of art.”
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