{"id":413144,"date":"2026-05-05T16:37:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T16:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/413144\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T16:37:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T16:37:23","slug":"the-story-behind-emma-chamberlains-hand-painted-gown-for-the-met-gala-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/413144\/","title":{"rendered":"The Story Behind Emma Chamberlain\u2019s Hand-Painted Gown for the Met Gala 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThere is sort of this watercolor feel, and I love watercolor painting,\u201d she said. \u201cBut then also there\u2019s a creepy, sort of ominous undertone to the gown, like the way that it moves. And that is very much my taste in art.\u201d<\/p>\n

To begin the custom design process, Chamberlain and Ellner sent art references (including works by Van Gogh and Munch) to Castro Freitas and the Mugler team, then had a three-hour conversation to talk through ideas. Ellner also selected archival Mugler looks as influences, including a butterfly dress from 1997<\/a>. (When Castro Freitas sent them the initial sketch, Chamberlain and Ellner had virtually no notes.)<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

The \u201cButterfly\u201d Mugler dress from 1997<\/p>\n

Photo: Getty Images<\/p>\n

The result is a stunning gown, designed by Castro Freitas and hand-painted by artist Anna Deller-Yee<\/a>, that literally turned Chamberlain\u2019s body into a canvas. It\u2019s a feeling she loves. \u201cI really am someone who enjoys fashion the most when I get to be a complete blank canvas,\u201d she said. The dress took Deller-Yee 40 hours to paint, working with 30 base colors, and four days to dry.<\/p>\n

To walk the carpet, she opted for Stuart Weitzman<\/a> platform heels in custom-dyed navy satin. When it came to her glam for the evening, \u201cwe had some big, brave ideas of what I\u2019d do,\u201d she said, including dyeing her hair brown. Ultimately, the team went for a subtler effect that let her Mugler dress shine.<\/p>\n

Makeup artist Lilly Keys<\/a> was inspired by the gown, echoing its mauve, purple, and soft yellow iridescent colors around Chamberlain\u2019s eyes. Keys wanted the look to reflect the \u201cslightly otherworldly\u201d tone of the dress by making Chamberlain\u2019s skin a \u201creflective surface, so when she moves, it catches light,\u201d Keys said, adding that a key tool in creating this effect was the\u00a0Shark Beauty FacialPro Glow<\/a>. Keys opted to keep Chamberlain\u2019s lips \u201cvelvet and neutral\u201d to keep the focus on her skin and eyes.<\/p>\n