The 2024 Met Gala—an evening hailed as the biggest night for fashion and beauty—is just days away. The first Monday in May is notoriously an extravagant red carpet where the most fashionable celebrities herald together to make a statement and raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
This year’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” corresponds with the Institute's spring exhibition, featuring four centuries of archival fashion items from Schiaparelli, Dior, Givenchy, and Saint Laurent. As such, the red carpet dress code, aptly named “The Garden of Time,” will elicit a fairly literal interpretation of the botanical and whimsical. Some stars will go all out, while others will take a simpler approach to fashion. Rihanna hinted her Met Gala ensemble will focus on hair and makeup. But what kind of beauty are we talking about?
Camila Cabello arrived to the 2023 Met Gala with flowers pinned into her updo.
“The Garden of Time theme can be interpreted literally with enchanting floral pieces,” says celebrity makeup artist Ash K Holm, who works with Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian, and Ariana Grande. “However, the three sub-themes of land, sea, and sky will expand the textures and color schemes. This theme is a true ode to nature, and the interpretations are infinite.”
While the execution remains to be seen (check back in with Marie Claire for live reporting on the 6th!), talented glam squads are already well into workshopping hair, makeup, and nail designs for the big night. Here, you’ll find Met Gala beauty predictions straight from the glam teams.
Whimsical Nail Art
Nail artist Zola Ganzorigt, responsible for the viral manicures on Hailey Bieber and Sydney Sweeney, is already designing the nail looks her clients will debut on the Met Gala red carpet. What can we expect? Sleeping Beauty-inspired designs. “I’m predicting to see many different types of flowers and butterfly nails,” she shares exclusively with Marie Claire.
Period Hairstyles
There will be a huge range of hairstyles on the red carpet. Still, celebrity hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein Saraf, who works with Alison Brie and Leighton Meester, is anticipating “some epic modern twists on period hair from different decades.” This could include Regency-era, Bridgerton-eque updos, intricate braids, and twists dating to the Victorian era. "There's going to be a nod to historical glamour, with influences from the lavish times of Marie Antoinette and other eras," predicts Rogerio Cavalcante, hairstylist and founder of The Second Floor Salon in NYC. "It's going to be about opulent aesthetics reminiscent of the extravagant styles seen in period dramas like The Great."
Ethereal Skin
Mythical gardens lend themselves to the whimsy of an enchanted forest, which is precisely why Holm envisions an ethereal skin trend. “I think the next makeup trends will include glass skin with delicate details,” she shares. “I anticipate the sub-themes will showcase pearlescent accents and raw finishes.”
Wet glazes across eyelids, translucent gloss on the cheekbones, and just-pinched cheeks will likely be the center of the spotlight. “We’re in a very big place of self-care, so in that vein, we’re going to see a lot of just gorgeous skin,” adds Vincent Oquendo, a celebrity makeup artist who works with Bella Hadid, Janelle Monae, and Karlie Kloss.
Material Appliques
Subtle and natural makeup isn't quite the Met Gala aesthetic. While Oquendo is in the planning stages of his clients’ looks, he’s thinking about using textures, metallics, glitters, and unconventional material appliques on the face. “It’s a very exciting time,” he shares. “We’ll be using makeup products to enhance, or more specifically, to embellish and paint.”
3D Manicures
While shorter nail looks have been dominating the 2024 nail trend cycle, the Met Gala will offer longer lengths with multi-dimensional embellishments. “Textured, 3D nails are so popular,” says Ganzorigt. While there will undoubtedly be floral add-ons, she also predicts a lot of glitter accents.
Bleached Eyebrows
While there are no direct connections between bleached brows and the theme, Oquendo firmly believes platinum brows will be a Met Gala trend. “We’ve been seeing an uptick in bleached brows lately,” he says. “We’re going to see a lot of bold choices.”
Flower Crowns
It may seem painfully obvious, but we have to say it: Flower crows will be a Met Gala staple. They’ll likely run the gamut, from dainty, Coachella-inspired fare to massive headpieces requiring a royal's posture and balance. "We'll see elaborate hair accessories set to adorn intricate hairstyles and elevate the overall look with a touch of grandeur," adds Cavalcante.
Taylor Hill wore a gorgeous flower crown underneath her updo at the 2022 Met Gala.
Teddy Bear Bronde
The Met Gala is always grounds to debut a new hair color. Gigi Hadid debuted red hair in 2021, and Jessica Chastain went platinum in 2023 to honor Karl Lagerfeld. If Zendaya’s recent hair transformation is any indication, a honey-hued brown tone will be the go-to color at this year’s festivities.
Botanical Embellishments
Someone (cough cough: Jared Leto?) will appear as a tree this year. At least, that’s what celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes is banking on. “I think we’re really going to see lots of theatrics, florals, and playfulness with embellishments, with the theme being the garden of time,” the KJH Brand founder, who works with Dua Lipa and Ashley Graham, predicts. “You might see people with fresh petals put on their face, which I would actually be very here for.”
Nature-Inspired Tones
It might be a fairly literal take on the theme, but Holm underscores that the colors you would find in a green garden (think earth or olive-toned) will be used in countless beauty looks. Conversely, Hughes anticipates flower-inspired colors, mainly pastels, to have a moment.
Meet the Experts
Zola Ganzorigt is a Los Angeles-based manicurist. Her careful eye and creative approach to nails has made her a favorite with talent such as Hailey Bieber, Sydney Sweeney, Jessica Alba, Christina Aguilera, Sabrina Carpenter, and Vanessa Hudgens. Ganzorigt’s nail art ranges from minimal, nude manicures to bold, artistic designs, and has been featured on covers and in campaigns for brands such as Miu Miu, Good American, Sweetgreen, and Fabletics, along with editorials for publications including Porter, The Cut, and L’Officiel.
Vincent Oquendo is a globally recognized makeup artist, known for his bold aesthetic and creative vision. A “make-up maestro,” according to ELLE, Vincent’s red carpet clients include Lily Collins, Janelle Monae, Bella Hadid, Karlie Kloss, Hailey Bieber, Diane Kruger, and Jessica Biel. Vincent emulates Old-Hollywood glamour with a dash of modern flare. In addition to the red carpet, Vincent works with photographers such as Alexei Hay, Zoey Grossman, Miguel Reveriego, and Ben Watts, and his work has been featured in Vogue, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, W, and more. Vincent is the Brand Ambassador for LUMIFY Eye Drops.
Katie Jane Hughes is a British celebrity and editorial makeup artist born in England, raised in New York. When she’s not on set or working with clients, Katie captivates beauty enthusiasts worldwide by sharing her expert beauty tips and tutorials online. Her fun and creative style and mission to keep skin looking like skin has cultivated a devoted community around the globe.
Clariss Rubenstein is a Los Angeles based hairstylist. Born in Paris, she discovered her passion for art and style at an early age. She attended the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Los Angeles and later worked under top stylists at the renowned Chris McMillan Salon. Her talent and ambition paid off and she opened a boutique studio, Gloss, in Beverly Hills, where she currently works. Clariss’s clients include Jennifer Garner, Dakota Fanning, Mindy Kaling, Kaley Cuoco, Leighton Meester, Allison Williams and Alison Brie. Her work has been featured in editorials for Vanity Fair, Jalouse and LadyGunn. Her advertising work includes James Perse, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Tommy Hilfiger.
The Second Floor Salon was founded by Rogerio Cavalcante, an experienced hairstylist who moved to the U.S from Brazil 15 years ago and has built a clientele in NYC through his top quality service and customer service. The culture of beauty and innovation has been deep-rooted in Rogerio’s life for as long as he can remember. Since his childhood, Rogerio was surrounded by hairstylist influences in his family, with over nineteen family members working in the hair industry. Rogerio collaborated and learned alongside leaders of educational institutions including Toni & Guy, Vidal Sassoon, and L’Oréal Paris. Today he spends time traveling between New York, London, Paris, and Miami, attending to his global clientele, exchanging innovative techniques with other experts and continually pushing his style to incorporate the latest worldwide trends while perfecting his own unique skills in the Dry Cutting method.
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