See how Hari Nef prepared for the 2024 Met Gala

H&M made a fashionable return to the Met Gala red carpet with a slew of stars wearing glittering custom looks, from actresses Awkwafina and Hari Nef to models Adwoa Aboah, Paloma Elsesser and Quannah Chasinghorse. For the couture looks, the brand’s in-house design team took inspiration from this year’s Costume Institute exhibit, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” and the gala’s dress code, “The Garden of Time.” . The theme inspired the design team to dig deep into the brand’s archives and reawaken old-school silhouettes, drawing on the decadence and drama of bygone eras and interpreting them in a fresh way and modern.

Known for her star roles in barbie And The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Hari Nef has made a name for himself by combining his movie star looks with his fresh and relevant humor. When she’s not stealing scenes or delivering meme-worthy jokes, Nef spends her time defending human rights. As one of the first trans models to sign with IMG, Nef opened doors for the LGBTQ+ community in both fashion and film.

Seeing a well-known brand like H&M fully embrace the star shows how much progress has been made thanks to the dedication of people like Nef to progressivism. Describing her custom look, Nef said: “As the dress code for the evening was ‘Garden of Time,’ I knew I wanted to wear something that would start a conversation between the present and the past.” The one-of-a-kind dress channeled old-school opulence with a body-hugging pale pink taffeta column dress covered in translucent mother-of-pearl sequins and sequins.

Here, Nef gives exclusively In the style a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to get ready for fashion’s biggest night.

The look

“It’s a classic silhouette but done in both classic and modern fabrics, and underneath the dress is a custom corset from Mr. Pearl,” says Nef.

Its glamor

Inspiration? “Richard Avedon photos from the 1950s and 1960s and drag competitions from the 1960s, as shown in Frank Simons’ 1968 documentary. The Queenmore precisely mother of the house of Labeija (Pepper LaBeija).”

His personal style

” EVERYTHING THAT’S NECESSARY ! »

Her style icons

“Isabella Blow, Carolyn Bassett Kennedy, Candy Darling, Divine and Courtney Love,” says Nef. “They’re all glamorous without being obvious.”

What she likes about the Met

“It’s an opportunity to dress to the max!” she says. “(I love) the scale and stakes of the Met Gala – forcing even the most ill-mannered to be on their best behavior.”

Her favorite themes from past Met Galas

“Camp, punk, McQueen, Ballet Russe, models.”

His preparation playlist

“‘360’ by CharlieXCX.”

Who was she excited to see

“Anna Wintour and Greta Gerwig.”

His post-gala plans

“Change into something short and naughty and dance until the sun comes up.” »