Zoom in: Lisa’s Met Gala outfit has hidden storytelling in the embroidery

Your eyes may be deceiving you, but they’re not alone.

When Lalisa Manobal arrived at the 2025 Met Gala, it wasn’t just the cheeky tights or the cinched Louis Vuitton blazer that caught attention. It was what was sewn into her skin-tight lace bodysuit: faces. Tiny, intricate, quietly haunting and almost easy to miss. But for those who looked closely, the embroidery was more than lingerie. It was a legacy.

The faces, designed by American artist Henry Taylor, weren’t chosen at random. Taylor, whose work has long centred around Black identity, personal memory, and representation, first brought these portraits to Louis Vuitton under the direction of Pharrell Williams for the brand’s Men’s Spring-Summer 2024 show. This time, the portraits weren’t just stitched onto tailoring; they were stitched onto Lisa’s custom embroidered underwear.

That detail alone flips the switch on the entire ensemble. Suddenly, this isn’t just a debut Met Gala look. It’s wearable art, curated for a woman who has made every moment of her journey unforgettable. Lisa, who’s had a blockbuster year, from a viral Coachella set to an acting debut in The White Lotus, walked the Met carpet literally clothed in someone else’s memories. It was intimate. Provocative. And, most importantly, personal.

The theme this year, “Tailored for You,” wasn’t just about custom cuts or sharp silhouettes. It was about self-definition. With Taylor’s embroidery, Lisa’s look didn’t just reflect who she is, it reflected whose stories she chooses to carry. The lace (often used to symbolise fragility) here becomes a shield of remembrance, of creative kinship, of cross-cultural connection.

The Met Gala has long been more than a red carpet—it’s a cultural mirror. Every year, the Costume Institute’s theme invites designers and celebrities to push fashion into the realm of performance art, commentary, and identity. From Billy Porter’s golden sun god entrance for “Camp” in 2019 to Rihanna’s 2018 “Heavenly Bodies” papal moment in Margiela, the event has birthed looks that spark conversations far beyond the steps of the Met.

Lisa’s embroidered ensemble joins that lineage, not just as a sartorial standout, but as a deeper statement on representation, art, and the power of choosing what (and who) you wear on your body.

And that’s the thing about Lisa. She may be known for turning every outfit into a moment, but this one was a message. You just had to zoom in to get it.

Lead image: Getty

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