A great Met Gala after-party dress should never be an afterthought. “It is something that you love so much you can almost imagine yourself wearing it on the red carpet,” says Jorden Bickham, the woman Emily Ratajkowski calls when she wants to really pack a punch in front of the paps. The model, who draped herself in pearls and little else to host last year’s post-ball soirée, gave Bickham one brief for 2024: her looks had to be vintage.
“It is an incredible privilege to be able to dress someone like Emily in vintage for an event as special as the Met,” notes Bickham, who turned to Alexis Novak at Tab Vintage for two special archive dresses that played into the Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion exhibition theme. “Emily and I thought a lot about time and fragility. The Givenchy after-party dress, from 1998 and designed by Lee McQueen, is entirely hand-beaded, as is the Atelier Versace [red-carpet look] from 2001—they are in incredible shape considering they are both over 20 years old.”
While the glittering silver sheath of a Versace number required “a few nips and tucks,” the sheer Givenchy showgirl mini, decorated with bright blue stars and fringing, required zero alterations. “They are incredibly fragile pieces and I imagine they were then as much as they are now—there is something so special about that,” adds Bickham of honoring fashion’s past: “The dresses chose us. When you know, you know.”
The one concession Ratajkowski and Bickham made for fashion’s big night? A custom Victoria’s Secret bra and thong mimicking the original underwear McQueen created for the runway. “As much care and attention to detail has to go into the after-party look from head to toe!” adds Bickham, who knows naked dresses are not just a trend, but a way of life, for her client.
See All the Celebrity Looks From the Met Gala 2024 Red Carpet: