Swarovski leaned into “The Garden of Time” dress code at the 2024 Met Gala by creating custom crystal-embellished gowns for several supermodels.
The jeweler joined forces with Karlie Kloss, Imaan Hammam and Anok Yai for the annual gala Monday night, with each supermodel wearing a custom Swarovski gown that paid homage to various natural elements to celebrate the museum’s new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” The models’ looks were created by Swarovski creative director, Giovanna Engelbert, who also sported a custom crystal-embellished look.
“The extravagant looks interpret ‘The Garden of Time’ through the lens of Swarovski, showcasing boundless creative possibilities,” Engelbert said. “They also celebrate the essence of the garden by transforming its elements — flowers, leaves, sunlight, air and water — into couture creations that capture nature’s beauty and joyful spirit.”
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The models’ looks are meant to reflect these natural elements, with Kloss embodying a flower, Yai embodying water, Hammam embodying the sun and Engelbert embodying nature.
“Each bespoke creation was envisioned to harmonize — and almost blend — seamlessly with the female body, enhancing and celebrating its form and essence,” Engelbert continued. “And each of the looks is a tribute to the inherent beauty of the women who inspired them and a celebration of the individuality of each muse.”
Kloss’ look, a pink floral-embellished gown, was created with more than 180,000 rose crystals assembled by a team of seven artisans. The gown took 225 hours to create, according to Swarovski.
The gown’s central detail is a jeweled corset embellished with garlands of pink flowers and petals, created with 60,500 crystals and 75 jewels. The custom Swarovski gown is designed to look like it is transforming into Kloss’ jewelry pieces, which are from Swarovski’s Florere and Millenia collections.
To embody water, Yai’s look was created with 98,000 sapphire and aquamarine crystals situated on a silk tulle catsuit. The crystal embellishment is meant to create an illusion of the jewels shimmering directly on the model’s skin.
Yai accessorized the custom Swarovski catsuit with a one-of-a-kind necklace from the jeweler’s Galaxy collection. The necklace was designed with more than 1,000 lab-grown Swarovski diamonds in seven cuts, totaling 156.62 carats.
Engelbert said she wanted to pay homage to Swarovski founder Daniel Swarovski’s legacy with the looks by creating the couture gowns for the Met Gala.
“This connection to the roots of haute couture is deeply personal and reflects a shared heritage of innovation and artistry,” she explained. “This year’s Met Gala theme, inspired by the narrative of ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,’ resonates with Swarovski’s commitment to reviving the art of exquisite, detailed craftsmanship seen in historical couture pieces of extraordinary beauty that once dazzled the world, yet are no longer worn.”
Hammam’s sun-inspired two-piece look includes a cape inspired by Swarovski’s Gema collection and a satin column skirt accented with gold crystals. The cape, which took 14 days to create, uses more than 3,000 crystals in six cuts and five hues. The skirt was embellished with more than 100,000 crystals.
Engelbert’s own look rounds out the group by taking inspiration from nature as a whole. The creative director walked the Met Gala red carpet wearing a beaded emerald green satin gown inspired by the work of artist Gustav Klimt. The gown’s bustier is designed with rows of green crystals and the skirt is embellished with green jewels fading into a crystal mesh.
While Swarovski has created custom crystal-embellished garments in the past — most recently teaming with Kim Kardashian’s Skims for an apparel collection and most famously Rihanna for her 2014 sheer CFDA Awards dress — the 2024 Met Gala is the first time the jeweler has presented a couture-level looks.
“By infusing Swarovski crystals into these one-of-a-kind couture gowns, we not only pay homage to the past, but also continue to serve as a catalyst for creativity and an enabler for the world’s foremost fashion houses that use our crystals,” Engelbert said. “Being part of this important event — a celebration of fashion’s role in artistic and personal expression — is a true privilege. These creations reflect Swarovski’s enduring dedication to beauty and craftsmanship, and I am immensely proud to share this vision with the world, celebrating the splendor of the crafted gown and the illuminated brilliance of Swarovski crystal.”