This year's Met Gala red carpet was noticeably different from standard proceedings. Inspired by the Costume Exhibit's 2025 theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," attendees gravitated toward finely-made pieces that fit the wearer's exact measurements.
This culminated in a montage of streamlined tuxedos and suit-inspired floor-length dresses—instead of the usual elaborate costuming. But even with this unusual aesthetic in mind, Hailey Bieber, was still a sartorial outlier.
The model arrived to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the evening of May 5, wearing a fitted Saint Laurent blazer dress. Though she styled the number appropriately for the white tie occasion—with diamonds and gravity-defying heels—its micro hemline was certainly in its own lane.
The first Monday in May is famously unpredictable, but even so, mini dresses are few and far between. Typically, Met Gala red carpets are awash not only with ball gowns, but often with gargantuan trains as well. (See: Cardi B's tulle dress from the 2024 Met Gala.) The general consensus among spectators is, essentially: The longer the dress, the better the look.
But Bieber was out to prove a point—and so she did, at the succeeding Met Gala after-party. The model arrived at Casa Cipriani wearing an even shorter dress than she did on the red carpet. Outfitted in champagne-colored velvet, Bieber sported a custom Dilara Findikoglu corset dress, procured by her stylist Dani Michelle.
It had sculpted hips, lingerie-inspired boning, and a low-scooping neckline, giving it a Schiaparelli-like quality. Like Bieber's first look, this piece also boasted a micro-mini cut, with a wavy, asymmetrical hemline—which only made the number appear shorter.
Bieber had pre-gamed the 2025 Met Gala with another look by the London-based designer. She left her hotel as a one-woman ambassador for the slingback heel trend, pairing Saint Laurent shoes with a deconstructed Dilara Findikoglu mini dress.
Together, these before-and-after-party looks effectively underscored what we, as an industry, have long known: Fashion rules are meant to be broken, especially at the Met Gala.
