I met Marc when I was in my early 20s. I was maybe 21 when his grunge collection came out, and I was in New York on a trip with my mom, and I said, “I really want to visit Perry Ellis and check out this designer.” And then Marc happened to be there, and we started talking and hit it off. I spent a lot of time in New York in my 20s—there was a period when the MTV Awards and Halloween and Fashion Week were all around the same time in October. So it was fun to come to New York for the week and see friends and pop into all those worlds. Marc dressed me for a lot of occasions but was always easygoing about me picking whatever I felt like.
I have gone to The Met so many times with Marc—we went a bunch of years in a row—and I can’t really remember the first time; they all blur together. I am old-school enough that I don’t think of the Met Gala as a costume party. It used to just be a black-tie thing—not something where people dress to the theme of the exhibit. In the past, there was more of a mix of traditional uptown socialites—the ones who were the original supporters of the Costume Institute. Seeing Deeda Blair was a highlight for me. She’s just so striking; her hair is always very, you know, recognizable. I got to know her a little bit through friends after that, but I think I met her for the first time at the Met Gala. I was so impressed by her elegance. So to me it’s more like a date uptown where you dress up and put on your jewelry—like grown-up prom. Marc would come pick me up; he has a really nice car, and he’s a really good date. He’s a gentleman.
It’s gotten amped up and louder through the years. I think one of my most memorable experiences was smoking in the bathroom with Marc and Phoebe Philo and Thomas, my husband—it was like high school, sneaking cigarettes in the bathroom. It was the most fun party, but that’s definitely not allowed anymore. After, we would go to Bemelmans Bar with Rachel Feinstein and John Currin—they’re always so lively.
I mostly remember The Met through outfits. For 2004’s “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century” theme, I wore a bias-cut slip dress in gold lamé. That definitely was Marie Antoinette–era inspiration, because I visited The Met for the costumes for my film around that time, and it stayed in my mind. My favorite outfit was the one I wore to 2013’s “Punk: Chaos to Couture.” Everyone was in big elaborate gowns, and I was happy to be in lamé pajamas. I think Marc’s favorite was the beaded gold dress I wore to 2017’s “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between.” Marc knows I love a T-shirt dress, so he made me a glamorous, fancy version made out of tiny gold beads! It felt dressed up but still easy. —Sofia Coppola
Keke Palmer
I think the reason Marc’s designs make him such a talent is because he ushered in this different view of modern fashion that had a sense of edge and fun to it. I don’t think that always existed. The attitude and personality just added another layer to American fashion that was a bit cooler than what was out there. I first became aware of him because of a really popular satchel bag in the mid-2000s that I loved. But then when we worked together for the “Sleeping Beauties” Met Gala in 2024, I had a fabulous experience. The outfit we put together was really special, very in keeping with the theme: a sheer silk tulle gown with antique beaded embroidery and what felt like millions of sequins. I joked at the time, “The sequins are me, I am the sequins.” It took all day to assemble, and the work continued until the moment I was on the red carpet.
