Celebrity makeup artist Alexx Mayo has been working with Lizzo for roughly seven years, so he says the Grammy-winning artist possesses “a lot of trust” in the beauty looks he creates for her wide variety of appearances. He calls the ability to create a glam design for this year’s Met Gala with its “The Garden of Time” dressing theme “really a dream come true for me.”
“I gather a lot of my inspiration from botanical gardens, so I was thrilled — nature has the best color combinations,” Mayo adds.
When he saw the dress Lizzo was wearing—a creation by Paris-based Weinsanto—his excitement heightened. Mayo tells The Hollywood Reporter, “When you see the dress, there’s this idea as though flowers are being blown by the breeze, and it definitely gives this goddess vibe.”
Victor Weinsanto originally created the gown for his Spring/Summer 2024 “Perfect Day” collection and couldn’t believe it when stylists Matthew and Reginald Reisman reached out to discuss whether the piece could be made for Lizzo to wear at the Met Gala. “At first I doubted that it was a real request,” he notes to THR with a laugh. “A chance for me to work with Lizzo is just amazing.”
Weinsanto’s original idea for the outfit was to design a sculpted corset that honored the art of corsetry while also evoking images of a flower from head to toe. A Parisian house that specialized in that craft dyed the fabric to match Lizzo’s skintone. Other adjustments made to the design included opening up the headpiece to highlight Lizzo’s face and reconsidering the boning near the bottom of the gown to facilitate her easy walking.
“I didn’t want to be the designer responsible for a fall in front of the whole world,” Weinsanto says. “And honestly, now that the dress has been recreated for Lizzo, I like this version even better. It’s also perfect for showcasing her gorgeous body.”
Between 600 and 700 hours were required to complete the dress, Weinsanto says. “So many hands went into making this happen, and I don’t think any of us slept the last five days,” he adds.
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The dress from Victor Weinsanto’s Spring Summer 2024 collection
Mayo claims that when the dress was decided upon, the glam squad convened to discuss the roles that nails, hair, and makeup would play. The main source of inspiration for this style, according to him, was harmony seen in nature. “I didn’t want to be too literal; I just wanted the idea of flowers and gardens.” I wanted to play with the beauty of a rose during its lifetime because the gown had these sprays of dried flowers. I used different tones and just mixed colors from my palette to portray the rosebud, a rose in full bloom, and the moment at which a rose withers and dies but is still gorgeous.
Those shades are key to the colors used for Lizzo’s eyes, but Mayo notes that glowing skin also was a priority, especially due to the both the hue and transparent nature of the gown. “I used Kate Somerville’s HydraKate, which has a lightweight feel and really hydrates the skin.”
Perhaps what Mayo loves most about Lizzo’s Met Gala beauty is that it continues to push their evolution and partnership forward. “We’re moving into a new era,” he says of their work together. “We love to play with color, we love to play with different shapes and brows, and Lizzo loves to experiment and play. So this is another level for both of us.”
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