Odessa A’zion on Her Met Gala Debut & the Inspiration for Her Look

When Odessa A’zion showed up to her first Met Gala on Monday night, she was wearing a custom Valentino look she’d helped design herself. She and Alessandro Michele had traded sketches, notes, and references back and forth, riffing on the night’s dress code, “Fashion is Art,” until they got the daring outfit exactly right.

The final look was a nod to pre-war Hollywood: a black silk peplum corset with sparkling pink-and-blue floral embroidery, matching cut-out lily flowers covering A’zion’s chest, a black silk scarf worn like a choker, black tights and leather thigh-high boots, and a long black and slate blue embroidered cape worn off the shoulder, trailing dramatically on the floor.

“I loved the idea of lily flowers, embroidery, a fabric that would reflect, and a big old scarf and a long wide cape,” A’zion told W . “We had a lot of 1925-1940’ cabaret wardrobes and film costumes, especially embroidered body pieces, on our moodboard. What they made back then was so elaborate and detailed. We loved and pulled from that quite a bit.”

A’zion typically does her own hair and makeup, and this night was no different, with a few extensions added to her signature bouncy black curls. She completed the look with well-placed sparkly freckle-jewels on her face and Pandora jewelry, including flower- and heart-detail rings. Of the night’s theme, she added with characteristic flair: “Fashion is always art, baby, no matter what it is!”

Though it was A'zion's initiation into fashion's biggest night—one co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, and which raised a record-breaking $42 million for the Museum's Costume Institute—the 25-year-old is no stranger to a high-stakes red carpet. After her breakout last year as Timothée Chalamet’s love interest in Josh Safdie’s nine-time Oscar-nominated Marty Supreme, followed by her instantly cult-favorite role as Rachel Sennott’s influencer best friend on HBO’s I Love LA, A’zion has established herself as one of Hollywood’s most compelling new faces. The Met Gala was just a chance to show off her sartorial range—and to connect with some of her favorite fellow artists.

She was one of eleven attendees dressed by Valentino for the evening, a star-studded group that included Joe Alwyn, Colman Domingo, Sombr, and Tyla—who happens to have worn one of A’zion’s favorite Met Gala looks of all time. Also on A’zion’s personal Met Gala Mount Rushmore: “Rihanna! Madonna! Zendaya! Kim Kardashian! Cher!”

In the end, the best part of A'zion's look was the creative work that went into it. “[It was] really incredible to be able to collaborate on such a piece of art,” she added. “It meant so much to me. I felt so taken care of by Alessandro and the whole team. It was handled with such care and artistry. What a cool experience.”

The Met Gala is a particularly heart-thumping occasion, especially for first-time attendees. The best advice she got from those who’ve done it before, “‘Breathe on the carpet. It’s scary, but it’s fast.’ I think I forgot to,” she says. In past interviews A’zion has joked that she basically blacks out ahead of facing the photographer onslaught, a feeling she reiterated to W. “I don't think I have a free second to calm my nerves until I'm on the other side of the carpet, and it's over,” she said of her getting ready process. “Sometimes I'll turn off music for a little bit beforehand, so my brain doesn't explode."

A’zion was most excited for what happened at the top of the steps. “Honestly, I was most looking forward to seeing what designers had created this year,” she said. “And, seeing what happened on the other side of it all, because I had zero clue what went down in there.”

When she’s in the right headspace, though, her pre-carpet ritual involves putting on the soothing music of her favorite artists. “When I’m listening again, it’s Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, just good music. Whatever feels good.” It’s a fitting move for A’zion, who, in addition to preparing for acting projects like Oscar-winning director Justine Triet’s first English-language feature, Fonda, is also finally embracing her lifelong love of singing. Just a few days before the Met Gala, A’zion officially released her first two songs under her name, “Liquor Store Roses” and “Maybe I’m Not What You Need.” The spare, confessional ballads show off A’zion’s smoky, unguarded vocals.

As for what's next musically? "I guess we'll just have to wait and see!"