It Took 430 Hours to Make Carey Mulligan’s ‘Revenge Barbie’ Met Gala Look 

Carey Mulligan and Valentino are a match made in heaven. At the Academy Awards back in April, Best Actress nominee Mulligan turned heads in a golden haute couture look that sparkled on the red carpet, and she enjoyed designer Pierpaolo Piccioli’s company so much that he was her first choice for the Met. “He’s so joyful and so thoughtful about the work he creates. [He] definitely takes the art seriously, but he doesn’t take himself seriously at all,” shared Mulligan via email. “I love that about him.” 

Thanks to their earlier collaboration, Mulligan had already seen the potential in a pastel number. “I had, as an option for the Oscars, another Valentino dress that was pink and sequined, which [Promising Young Woman director] Emerald Fennell dubbed ‘Revenge Barbie,’ but in the end, I chose the gold,” she explains. “This was a chance to try out ‘Revenge Barbie.’” Referencing a pop culture icon like Barbie fit with the Met’s In America theme. Mulligan’s pink gown, which made its official debut on model Denise Ascuet during the Valentino des Ateliers show in Venice in July, perfectly captures the doll’s girly, exuberant aesthetic.

Still, its full skirt, sweeping chiffon overlay cape, and haute couture’s renowned attention to detail imbued the look with sophistication. Mulligan’s gown seems solid from afar, but zooming in closer reveals five different micro prints. Piccioli utilized a combination of taffeta, faille, and seven additional fabrics, all in a striking neon rose hue. The contrasting textures are what take things to the next level. In total, it took 430 hours to take the piece from sketch to reality, then a special fitting with Mulligan over the weekend to ensure the perfect fit. On the night of Mulligan accessorized with Cartier's 18K white gold Reflection de Cartier High Jewelry earrings and a Panthére de Cartier ring. Her understated beauty look featured a chignon by Kylee Heath, Mary Wiles natural makeup, and nude nails from manicurist Queenie Nguyen. 

Of course, wearing an exquisite look—and landing a spot on the night’s best dressed list—isn’t the only reason stars flock to the Met, and for Mulligan, the event was a chance to catch up with her peers. “My favorite part of the evening was bumping into friends,” she says. “It’s wonderfully overwhelming inside and such a surreal environment, so it’s nice sometimes to see an old mate in there.” As Valentino also outfitted fantasy novelist Toni Adeyemi, pop star Normani, and Hollywood legend Whoopi Goldberg, even the journey to the event was fun. “I got to share a van with Whoopi Goldberg for a full 45 minutes while we sat in traffic,” says Mulligan. “I felt like I had won a competition to be in there—I’ll never forget it!”