Expensive ITG,
It felt completely surreal to be invited to the Met Gala. I’ve at all times been any individual who’s very additional, so the concept I may attend an occasion like this, the place the style is so unbelievable, was a complete dream. I believe you’re presupposed to be somewhat low key about it—, 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 right first Met Gala to attend—not only for me, but additionally on behalf of Hill Home, my vogue 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 wonderful recollections of being a tiny little individual and listening to her say that.
The portray itself additionally has an enchanting historical past. It was principally 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, virtually purchased it for some insane quantity, like $10, however his mother stated, ‘No extra Victorian work.’ It was in Puerto Rico perpetually as a result of Luis A. Ferré, the previous governor of Puerto Rico, liked 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 vogue 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 good looking, beautiful portray to take 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 an alternative, I took the colour inspiration and a few of the Grecian components. Michael, who’s the dressmaker for Hill Home, received a gown type and draped it 1,000,000 completely different instances to see how the material may lay on the physique. It was actually essential to me to have a waist second as a result of one of many causes I used to be into our nap attire was as a result of the smocking allowed you to have somewhat little bit of a snatched waist however nonetheless really feel comfy; personally, I at all times really feel higher if I’ve a waist second. Then we wished to attach the florals not directly, and particularly after studying concerning the impermanence of the objects within the exhibit, I actually wished to include recent flowers, which have been sewn in by hand, together with within the van main as much as the steps of the Met. I liked the concept the recent flowers would die by the tip of the evening, so the gown would look this manner for one evening solely. Once I modified final evening, the flowers have been somewhat bit stepped on, had petals lacking, and the colours of the flowers had stained the gown in a extremely lovely means. It’s going to really by no means look the way in which it initially seemed once more.
Main as much as the Met, I positively 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 want. That’s simply my standard, however about three to 4 weeks forward of the Gala, I got here in for somewhat contact up. I additionally see Lia Trojansky at Dr. Gross. She does lasers and chemical peels. Final summer season, I had pimples for the primary time—at the same time as an adolescent I didn’t have pimples—and she or he 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 positively observed a distinction when it comes to pore dimension and the overall 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 somewhat peel on Friday.
On Sunday afternoon, I noticed Elizabeth Grace Hand, the founding father of Stallë Studios. To start with, it was essentially the most enjoyable 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 suggest it extra earlier than a giant occasion.
For my magnificence look, I wished to include a few of the Pre-Raphaelite cornerstones, like rosy cheeks and pale pores and skin, which isn’t laborious for me. [Laughs] Actually, the look wasn’t too dissimilar to my standard 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 wished to really feel like myself. General, I simply wished to really feel recent and dewy, really 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 Mild 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 standard black liner, we did a softer heat brown with somewhat 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 usually put on my hair in pure waves, however I wished to raise it with extra top on the crown for a smooth, easy look. I had flowers tied by hand in my hair, too. Really, these flowers, and those on my gown, have been my fragrance for the night. There have been a whole lot of them, so you could possibly actually odor them.
Ami Vega did my nails the morning of. I’ve labored together with her earlier than for Hill Home, and she or he 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 palms, and I normally hold them tremendous, tremendous brief. Individuals are at all times shocked as a result of every little thing else I do is so excessive upkeep, however I’ve a tough time typing with nails and with my youngsters it’s only a lot. However I really like an excuse to have lengthy nails. I really feel like I’ve a brand new persona when I’ve them on.
I did lymphatic drainage at Ricari Studios 3 times final week—any individual who goes to the Met on a regular basis informed me to go. It made me really feel so wholesome. I’ve had three youngsters, so I maintain loads of bloat in my abdomen and I positively felt much less bloated there. Doing pilates at Forma actually helped, too. It’s the toughest class ever, however it’s so good.
One of many coolest issues that I didn’t understand 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 wonderful. Being principally 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 informed to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Emma Craft at The Mark Lodge on Might 6, 2024. Purple carpet photographs by way of Getty Photos.