Each year, fans look forward to the extravagant and fabulous outfits worn by Met Gala attendees spanning the industries of fashion, film, music, theater and more. Very rarely do those industries overlap so intimately that stars end up designing their own looks.
But for this year’s Met Gala theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, not only did Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs execute the event’s message with his camellia-adorned outfit, but it also held even more significance than met the eye. During an interview on the Vogue livestream, Combs said “This is Sean John’s [Met Gala] debut, as you can see. First time I designed in 10 years, and we’re feeling good.”
A press release from the brand described the look as a “fashion-forward black motorcycle tuxedo,” which featured 600 Swarovski crystals and black pearls as an homage to Lagerfeld’s time with Chanel. The camellias covering the “very heavy” cape, as described by Combs, equaled up to 1,000 custom satin and velvet petals in another nod to Lagerfeld’s Chanel.
Combs launched his fashion brand Sean John in 1998 with a signature sportswear collection, eventually becoming a full lifestyle brand. Largely known for its suiting, eyewear, fragrances, loungewear and partnership with Macy’s, the brand’s Met Gala debut marks Sean John’s first venture into couture.
When asked about the significance of attending an event celebrating Lagerfeld, Combs told Vogue, “I had a chance to spend time with Karl when I was designing Sean John, just as a fellow designer. He was so creative and he had such attention to detail (and) to beauty.”
Before walking the carpet on Monday evening, Combs shared on Instagram that he was thinking of “the great André Leon Talley” for the evening, making the Sean John cape an homage not just to Lagerfeld, but also to Talley’s love for oversized, voluminous cloaks.
After Combs purchased the brand back from Global Brands Group in 2021 for $7.5 million, it seems this marks be only the beginning of a Sean John comeback.
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