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The actress and Pattern Beauty founder mapped out every last debonair detail.
“We created a look that perfectly expresses the dandy that lives in me,” says Tracee Ellis Ross of her sartorial statement at last night’s Met Gala.
While everything—from her Marc Jacobs outfit featuring a dashing fuchsia bow to the bold red lip peeking out beneath her pink Stephen Jones hat—was the result of careful, intentional preparation. “I’ve been collecting imagery and inspiration from everywhere to inform my look,” she explains. The theme Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, based on Monica Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, resonates with her on a deeply personal level. Dressing from the heart, says the actress and Pattern Beauty founder, came naturally.
Ellis Ross’s longtime glam team—makeup artist Romy Soleimani and hairstylist Chuck Amos—made sure every detail of her beauty look matched the vision. “Flamboyant, elegant, and joyful” are the three words Soleimani uses to describe the overall vibe. Inspired by Harlem and Parisian style from the ‘70s, she made a bold red lip, fresh skin, and doll-like lashes the focal points of the star’s makeup. “I coated multiple false lashes with a crazy amount of the L’Oréal Panorama mascara for an exaggerated, over-the-top lash, while also using the Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick to give the skin a glowy finish.” As for her lip combo, Colour Riche liner in Always Red and Colour Riche lipstick in 315 True Red made for the perfect classic crimson lip.
For Amos, the biggest consideration was Ross’s chic slanted hat, and they ultimately landed on a sleek braided low bun to serve as a strong counterpoint. “The hair plays an integral part in the outfit, especially the hat,” explains Amos. “The wave in the brim of that fabulous hat accentuates and complements the small, round, braided bun that you will definitely see during Tracee’s ‘three-quarter’ head turns and ‘profile’ angles! It’s the bridge between the hat and the outfit!”
To create the style, Amos blow-dried Ross’s damp hair with the Pattern Beauty blow dryer, stretching her natural curls with his hands. He applied the Leave-In Conditioner and Curl Gel before slicking her hair into a low ponytail. After adding more leave-in conditioner and Styling Cream, he created four braids within the ponytail, twisting them into a tangerine-sized bun at the nape of her neck, securing it with small pins.
Finally, he smoothed a layer of styling cream over the slicked-back section and refined her hairline with the Edge Control Brush. “I really wanted the overall outlook of Tracee’s hair to coordinate with the outfit she would be wearing because ‘Black dandy’ is about paying attention to detail from head to toe,” says Amos. Needless to say, they nailed it.
Below, Ross takes us further behind the scenes of her dandy-inspired transformation for the 2025 Met Gala.
What excites her most about attending the Met Gala:The clothes, the clothes, the clothes!
Her pre-Met Gala prep:Lymphatic drainage, body scrubs, a fascia facial with Sophie Carbonari, and radio frequency with cryotherapy and microcurrent with Jade Haifa. And, of course, a banging playlist.
Her interpretation of the 2025 Met Gala theme:So much of this year’s theme of Black Dandyism is how I naturally express myself—”resisting the invitation” to live, perform, or dress how others might expect me to, but instead to shape and fashion my identity on my own terms. So, for the past few months, I have been collecting imagery and inspiration from everywhere to inform my look, and I have been texting Marc my musings. Marc is a genius at weaving imagination into reality. He is also an artist, and his joyous approach to proportion, use of color, and passion for detail have created a look that is the perfect expression of the Dandy that lives in me.
I took a similar approach with my hair and makeup team: Chuck Amos, working with Pattern Beauty, and Romy Soleimani with L’Oréal, interpreting my inspiration through their artistry.
Her top style icons:Nat King Cole, James Baldwin, André Leon Talley, André 3000, Willi Smith, Samira Nasr, Annie Hall aka Diane Keaton, Katharine Hepburn, Miles Davis, Josephine Baker, and always Diana Ross, aka my mama. They all embody impeccable style, glamour, elegance, sophistication, attention to detail, and bold self-expression.
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