Irina Shayk was, and without understating the sentiment, gleaming throughout Met Gala 2024. With over 84,000 Swarovski crystals adorning her afterparty look especially, it was hard not to take your eyes off her. But Shayk is more than a material woman.
Like the many global activists taking a stand against the climate crisis, she understands that the eco-consciousness is the most important conversation to be threaded into the fashion industry, even on its biggest night of the year.
“As soon as I heard about [the theme] Sleeping Beauties, I knew immediately that I already had the perfect pieces in my wardrobe from an antique store in Paris,” Shayk tells Highsnobiety.
“I loved the idea of wearing something I already owned, and that it was real and genuine.”
Though she wore a Swarovski look on the red carpet, Shayk wore a vintage '60s nightgown to the after party, the result of six artisans and over 200 hours of work and a vision made possible by Swarovski’s forward-looking creative director, Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert.
Shayk’s gown draped softly to the ground as light refracted from every inch like a pool of water in the middle of a garden oasis, complemented by ample crystal accessories. You would be hard-pressed to find another look that sat solid between the metaphorical and literal nuances of this year’s theme, “The Garden of Time.”
As a byproduct of evolving awareness of fashion waste, shopping vintage has become more than a sustainable practice: it's a way to reimagine the past through a modern lens. Really, vintage clothing has transcended its roots to become a form of new luxury.
“I just feel like it’s important to celebrate periods in time that are special and influential,” Shayk affirms. ”And to bring back pieces from the past and style them in a way that feels right for today.”
“We all have pieces in our wardrobe from the past — whether that’s pieces that have been passed down through your family or pieces from vintage stores — so why not wear them to The Met?”
Indeed, why not?
