Pricey ITG,
It felt completely surreal to be invited to the Met Gala. I’ve at all times been any person who’s very additional, so the concept that I might attend an occasion like this, the place the style is so unbelievable, was a complete dream. I believe you’re imagined to be just a little low key about it—you recognize, chill—however I’ve actually by no means been extra enthusiastic about something.
The “Sleeping Beauties” costume exhibit theme and the “Backyard of Time” gown code made it the proper first Met Gala to attend—not only for me, but in addition on behalf of Hill Home, my style and residential model. Fairly quickly after realizing I used to be really invited, I made a decision to create a gown impressed by Sir Frederic Leighton’s 1895 portray Flaming June. My mother is the one who launched it to me. She was obsessive about it as a result of she thought the girl within the portray seemed like me. She would actually level on the reproductions and be like, ‘That’s my Nellie.’ I’ve essentially the most superb reminiscences of being a tiny little individual and listening to her say that.
The portray itself additionally has an interesting historical past. It was mainly misplaced from the artwork world for a really very long time. It was sitting in an vintage store and Andrew Lloyd Weber, the true Andrew Lloyd Weber, nearly purchased it for some insane quantity, like $10, however his mother mentioned, ‘No extra Victorian work.’ It was in Puerto Rico eternally as a result of Luis A. Ferré, the previous governor of Puerto Rico, beloved the portray and received it at an public sale for an extremely low value. It’s type of had this renaissance and are available again into style over the previous couple of a long time. It got here to the Tate Fashionable in London in 2008—I grew up in London, and I noticed it there. It’s simply such a phenomenal, beautiful portray to have a look at.
The girl within the portray is completely bare apart from some gauze, so the very first thing my thoughts went to for my Met gown was a unadorned moist look. Then I remembered who I’m, so as a substitute, I took the colour inspiration and among the Grecian parts. Michael, who’s the dressmaker for Hill Home, acquired a gown type and draped it one million totally different occasions to see how the material might lay on the physique. It was actually vital to me to have a waist second as a result of one of many causes I used to be into our nap clothes was as a result of the smocking allowed you to have just a little little bit of a snatched waist however nonetheless really feel snug; personally, I at all times really feel higher if I’ve a waist second. Then we needed to attach the florals indirectly, and particularly after studying in regards to the impermanence of the gadgets within the exhibit, I actually needed to include contemporary flowers, which have been sewn in by hand, together with within the van main as much as the steps of the Met. I beloved the concept that the contemporary flowers would die by the tip of the night time, so the gown would look this fashion for one night time solely. Once I modified final night time, the flowers have been just a little bit stepped on, had petals lacking, and the colours of the flowers had stained the gown in a extremely lovely means. It is going to actually by no means look the way in which it initially seemed once more.
Main as much as the Met, I undoubtedly went overboard to prep my pores and skin. I began out with Dr. Dennis Gross, who I’ve been seeing since I used to be 22. I do Botox with him on my brow and eyes, and he at all times has such a lightweight contact and is aware of precisely what I would like. That’s simply my typical, however about three to 4 weeks forward of the Gala, I got here in for just a little contact up. I additionally see Lia Trojansky at Dr. Gross. She does lasers and chemical peels. Final summer time, I had zits for the primary time—whilst a young person I didn’t have zits—and he or she type of saved me. She would at all times say I ought to strive microneedling, so a few months earlier than the Met, I attempted it. I had possibly three or 4 days of an excellent, tremendous purple face, however I undoubtedly seen a distinction by way of pore measurement and the final well being and tone of my pores and skin. She additionally had me do another Laser Genesis, which I’ve been getting from her unrelated to the Met, with just a little peel on Friday.
On Sunday afternoon, I noticed Elizabeth Grace Hand, the founding father of Stallë Studios. Initially, it was essentially the most stress-free facial I’ve ever gotten. It took two hours, which included a CO2 masks, microcurrent, and Lyma Laser, however nothing harsh like extractions. I couldn’t advocate it extra earlier than a giant occasion.
For my magnificence look, I needed to include among the Pre-Raphaelite cornerstones, like rosy cheeks and pale pores and skin, which isn’t arduous for me. [Laughs] Actually, the look wasn’t too dissimilar to my typical make-up look. I had much less eyeliner on than I normally do, however I nonetheless had a winged eyeliner, which is my signature, as a result of I nonetheless needed to really feel like myself. Total, I simply needed to really feel contemporary and dewy, actually like I emerged from the riverbank. Isabel Rosado did my make-up utilizing Chanel Magnificence. She prepped my pores and skin with the Sublimage La Crème first. For the rosy cheeks, she used the Le Blanc Rosy Gentle Drops, a mixture of two Joues Contraste powder blushes—Rose Preliminary and Quintessence, and the Lumière de L’Ocean illuminating powder. We used three merchandise for my lips: Rouge Coco Flash in Ferveur, Rouge Attract Ink in Amoureux, and Le Crayon lip pencil in Rose Poudré. As an alternative of my typical black liner, we did a softer heat brown with just a little gold fleck utilizing Stylo Ombre et Contour eyeshadow liner in Electrical Brown and Nude Éclat.
Rosibel Del Jesus did my hair utilizing a mixture of R+Co merchandise and T3 instruments. I typically put on my hair in pure waves, however I needed to raise it with extra peak on the crown for a glossy, easy look. I had flowers tied by hand in my hair, too. Truly, these flowers, and those on my gown, have been my fragrance for the night. There have been tons of of them, so you can actually odor them.
Ami Vega did my nails the morning of. I’ve labored along with her earlier than for Hill Home, and he or she is fabulous. She used Base 02 and 03 from the Kokoist x Nail Ideas collab. I by no means put on nail polish on my arms, and I normally preserve them tremendous, tremendous quick. Individuals are at all times shocked as a result of all the things else I do is so excessive upkeep, however I’ve a tough time typing with nails and with my children it’s only a lot. However I like an excuse to have lengthy nails. I really feel like I’ve a brand new character when I’ve them on.
I did lymphatic drainage at Ricari Studios thrice final week—any person who goes to the Met on a regular basis advised me to go. It made me really feel so wholesome. I’ve had three children, so I maintain a number of bloat in my abdomen and I undoubtedly felt much less bloated there. Doing pilates at Forma actually helped, too. It’s the toughest class ever, but it surely’s so good.
One of many coolest issues that I didn’t notice beforehand is that you just get to spend time within the precise exhibit. I’m such a museum individual, and I had a extremely early name time, which was superb. Being mainly alone within the exhibit in your robe, proper after going by way of the purple carpet, was an enormous spotlight—and it didn’t damage that Matt Damon was standing proper there it, too.
Love,
Nell Diamond
—As advised to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Emma Craft at The Mark Resort on Might 6, 2024. Crimson carpet photographs by way of Getty Photographs.
