Last night’s Met Gala once again proved that fashion and art go hand in hand. From the custom gowns to the elaborate hair and makeup, some iconic moments were definitely captured and will influence the future of fashion. We picked four of our favorites to have artist Samantha Hahn illustrate.
“I usually work in a tighter and more rendered style,” Hahn told the Cut. “For the Met Gala, I did my ‘live painting’ style. For that, I directly put brush to paper, forgoing any sketching, keeping both immediacy and economy of brush strokes. I start with a light outline in watercolor and then build in darker sections once the underpainting is there. The last step is to use a thin brush or quill to add a few fine details such as strands of hair, beading on a dress, or even the swipe of a cat eye,” said Hahn of the process of illustrating these looks.
One of the best outfits of the night was Lizzo’s, who brought along a gold flute to serenade the red-carpet attendees as she made her way up it in her Thom Browne look. Her coat was hand-embroidered, and she told Vogue it took 22 hours to make. Even if we hadn’t asked her to, Hahn couldn’t resist depicting her: “I just had to paint her with her flute and that genuine joyful countenance. Her appearance was definitely a postmodern performance of art, fashion, and music.”
Other favorite looks included Billie Eilish in Gucci and Riz Ahmed, who said his look was a nod to the immigrants who helped keep the gilded age running. And, of course, Kim Kardashian, who wore Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” number.
Alongside the finished illustrations, Hahn also shared the process of painting each look with us on Instagram. For a night whose theme was old-money glamour, it just feels right to see the celebrity fashions in lush, romantic watercolor form.
