Olivia Wilde’s Met Gala Dress Is Based on a 1983 Karl Lagerfeld Design

Tonight’s 2023 Met Gala dress code was “in honor of Karl,” meaning the A-list attendees were encouraged to pay homage to Karl Lagerfeld—the late designer who helmed fashion houses such as Chanel, Fendi, Chloé, and his own eponymous label. Actor-director Olivia Wilde understood the assignment. The star wore an outfit by Chloé’s current designer Gabriela Hearst based on a 1983 design Lagerfeld made while spearheading the French house (which also features in the exhibit, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”)

The original Chloé design—a sculptural, capped-sleeved black silhouette—had the shape of a violin rendered in gold bugle and beads on the front of the dress. It’s from Chloé’s spring 1983 collection, which was entirely inspired by music. This particular look referenced a violin crafted by a 17th century Italian luthier named Nicola Amati. “What I loved about the original design was the musical inspiration of it, and the surrealistic touch on it,” Hearst tells Vogue. “There was something quite timeless that we could bring back to the Met Gala in 2023.” To update it and make it feel modern, however, Hearst chose to make it white and gold, and floor-length. “We made it a gala dress instead of a cocktail dress, and I think it worked beautifully,” says Hearst. 

For the designer, Wilde—who has now attended the Met Gala five times—was the perfect star to make the revived vision come to life. “What I admire about Olivia is her intelligence, and that intelligence is paired with beauty,” says Hearst. “That combination is irresistible. I remember seeing her at an event [before the Met Gala] and seeing this energy in her eyes, and I thought, ‘I would like to dress her.’” 

Of course, digging into Lagerfeld’s archival designs was also a special moment for Hearst, and something she’s familiar with as the creative director of Chloé. “Because [this year’s theme] is so personal to the house, and the work of Karl Lagerfeld for Chloé, [it was important] for me to look at those collections,” says Hearst. One of her favorite things about the late designer was his one-of-a-kind outlook on both life and style. “He was always pushing himself. I had the chance to meet Karl, and when you meet him, the first impression that you have is his fast sense of humor,” she says. “He would never say anything that wasn’t interesting. He was the opposite of tedious or boring, and his irreverence came through in his designs.”

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