Red-Carpet Remix
How Ralph Lauren transformed one of his most iconic pieces into Priyanka Chopra’s statement-making look“Avant-garde.”
Such was the requested dress code for this year’s Met Gala, the annual ball held on the first Monday in May to support the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, which this year celebrates the work of legendary designer Rei Kawakubo. Founder of the Japanese label Comme des Garçons, Kawakubo is renowned for her boundary-pushing use of volume, proportion, and materials, and when it came time to create a gown for actress Priyanka Chopra, Ralph Lauren wanted to pay homage to Kawakubo’s design legacy.
The showstopping result transformed an outerwear staple with menswear heritage—Ralph Lauren’s Sinclair trench coat —into an undeniably feminine evening dress that simultaneously referenced the woman of the hour while looking unmistakably Ralph Lauren.
To make the dress, the design team required more than 18 yards of the exact water-repellent Italian cotton gabardine used for the original, as well as the same horn buttons and leather-covered buckles that finish it. While the standard version stops just below the knee, Chopra’s gown featured a voluminous skirt whose massive train, measuring many feet long, served as a dramatic focal point for the photographers lining the entrance to the museum.
Also captured wearing Ralph Lauren Collection were actress Rose Byrne, wearing an eye-catching red bodysuit with a tulle skirt, and Lily Aldridge in a one-shoulder gown with a striking cutout across the bodice. Meanwhile, Nick Jonas wore an Art Deco–inspired dinner jacket from Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Michael B. Jordan wore a tartan tuxedo, and David Lauren paired his elegant Purple Label tuxedo with motorcycle boots.
Click through the slideshow for photos from the event.
Iconic Style
Timeless pieces from Ralph Lauren Collection
- Courtesy of Getty Images
- Courtesy of Ralph Lauren Corporation
