Director: Myesha EvonDirector of Photography: Bradley CreditEditors: Daniel Poler, Philip Anderson Producer: Ndeye ThioubouAssociate Producer: Maya HibbertAssistant Camera: Jadzia ErskineAudio: Brianna SimonsStylist: Molly DicksonStylist Assistants: Angela Jung, Ibrahima “SNL” Diouf, Shakirah Cornwell, Paige Holtz, Athina CalvoHairstylist: Kira HameedMakeup Artist: Kenya RuckerManicurist: Christina Duong Post Production Coordinator: Holly FrewSupervising Editors: Kameron Key, Eduardo Araujo, Christina MankellowPost Production Supervisor: Alexa DeutschProduction Coordinators: Tanremía Jones, Noah BierbrierProduction Manager: David Alvarez Paz Line Producer: Natasha Soto-AlborsEntertainment Director: Sergio KletnoyTalent Manager: Phoebe DishnerSupervising Producer: Felicia KelleyDirector of Content, Production: Rahel GebreyesSenior Director, Video: Romy van den Broeke Senior Director, Programming: Linda GittlesonVP, Digital Video English: Thespena GuatieriFilmed on Location: The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
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PeopleTranscript
00:00Because you need snacks.
00:02Yeah, I bet you didn't know I had that.
00:03All you need is a little hot water, drop that in, it's done.
00:06Peanuts, get your little fat in there, that's gonna keep you sustained.
00:09Trust me, I know.
00:11This right here is everything.
00:14What's up, folks?
00:15You know it's your girl, Kiki,
00:17and I'm so excited for you guys to get ready with me for the Met Gala.
00:20Let's get into it.
00:22My ritual for red carpet or any of these things are kind of usually the same.
00:33I've become so close to my glam squad.
00:36We be talking mess, you know, we be laughing about the latest news,
00:39our interests, she be putting me on new music,
00:42and we just kind of cut up and have a good time.
00:44I think for me, I always want it to feel like family.
00:48You know what I'm saying?
00:49We're gonna get the job done, but we're gonna have fun while we do it,
00:52and so that's really my ritual.
00:58My look tonight was inspired by Dorothy Dandridge.
01:00What she did in media, how she reframed the idea of what it meant to be a black woman,
01:05was something I think we should, you know, highlight.
01:07When I first spoke to Vera, we were kind of talking about black dandyism.
01:10She was like, you know, I really want to know what you feel and what you think,
01:13because you're black.
01:15And I was like, yes, girl.
01:16And so we started talking, and I was like, for me, it really is about
01:20how fashion was used as a tool to bring my culture and spaces.
01:24It wasn't always allowed.
01:26And so she started doing her research.
01:28She brought me all these different moments of Dorothy Dandridge.
01:30And even though my girl Vera looks young, she's actually 76.
01:33And so she was like, I watched Dorothy Dandridge in real time.
01:36And I'm like, girl, yes, give me the tea.
01:38And so we were like having so much fun looking through these old pictures,
01:41and we stumbled on something that we felt also inhabited the tailored aspect.
01:45So we would get the opportunity to blend both masculine and feminine,
01:49which you know your girl, you know.
01:51I've definitely got a masculine charm with a feminine tribute.
01:54You know, I'm strong.
01:56I feel like I'm a force when I walk into a room, but I'm still very soft and demure.
02:00You know, I make a joke, and I want you to laugh because I want you to feel at ease.
02:04And so I feel like that look, this look that Vera created and her amazing team created,
02:10it encompasses that, the strength, the power, the business boss diva,
02:14but also that demure princess, you know, girl that is just, you know,
02:18cuddled up in the bed at the end of the day watching her favorite rom-com.
02:21Shout out to Bride Wars.
02:22That's when I knew that I was going to be with Vera.
02:26My dad is one of nine boys, and all of them give Black Dandy in some way,
02:30even if it's bootleg in some degrees.
02:32They're going to give you that very sharp, pulled up elegance.
02:35And I think the main thing that I learned from them
02:37and what makes, what I think about when I think about Dandyism and Black Dandyism
02:41is being in spaces that you haven't always been allowed
02:44and using fashion as a tool to get there.
02:46I think that's been my greatest takeaway, especially when researching
02:49and thinking about what I want to bring to it,
02:51and the people in my medium that have done that very well,
02:54like Dorothy Dandridge, and really being inspired from that perspective
02:58was really exciting.
03:02So for the look today, I feel like because her dress is like so,
03:06it's really just all the jewels is like very much the moment,
03:10and the hair, it's a lot of braids, and she has a headpiece.
03:13So it's like, I didn't want the makeup to be distracting from everything else.
03:17And so we just really went for like a fresh face, a lot of blush, a lot of lash,
03:23very pinky, and just keeping it like still beat but more natural
03:28so that you don't lose, you know, the eye.
03:31The other details.
03:32Yeah, looking at everything else, so.
03:34Kenya was like, so kiki.
03:36Like, obviously, Ginger, we're doing that.
03:37We love that.
03:38That's you.
03:39She was like, but the brows.
03:40We have to lift the brows.
03:41They have to match.
03:42It's going to really elevate the look.
03:43And honestly, at this point, I trust Kenya with my life.
03:46So I was like, go ahead.
03:48She started cooking it up in the back.
03:50We wanted to incorporate with these nails a little bit of the pearls,
03:56you know, because that we have that going on with the dress.
03:59And it kind of also has a little elements of an ode to Audrey Hepburn
04:03because she also is so sharp, classy, and amazing.
04:06And when you see that again, we talk about black dandyism,
04:09the mixture of representation in that regard and on me on a different image.
04:17I'm sure you guys know the style back in the day
04:19that we would always do with the braids in the front, hair in the back.
04:23So we really wanted to channel that.
04:25And then also just, you know, just tapping into our culture.
04:27Stuff that we used to do as when we were younger.
04:30And then putting a modern twist on it.
04:32Of course, with our custom color and the straight style in the back
04:36that you'll see soon.
04:37Culturally, braids, they have so much history for us.
04:40Whether it was our ancestors putting rice in them
04:43and making sure we could get food or if it's the maps.
04:46People was putting maps in their braids.
04:47And so it has so much rich history that I have pride in.
04:51And I felt like that with this look and giving that class,
04:54but also saying, you see me, it just gives me everything I need.
04:59And I really just, you know, wanted to represent in that way.
05:02The main thing I feel is graceful.
05:11I feel as if I'm gliding across the room and it feels very effortless.
05:14Even though there's a lot going on with the dress.
05:16Again, the way that Vera and her team have constructed this dress,
05:19I feel, like, calm.
05:21I'm like, I feel like, yeah, I make it look easy.
05:28She is the best.
05:29Oh my gosh! She is absolutely the best.
05:32And I believe truly that Kiki has a whole other concept.
05:36And she really wanted to express how proud she was of being here
05:41and how inspired she was by someone that I adored, Dorothy Dandridge,
05:45one of the most beautiful actresses that ever lived.
05:48And that's sort of where our starting point was.
05:51And from there on, we moved on.
05:53So there is hints of masculinity and tearing in the collar
05:58and also the pants, the tuxedo pants.
06:01But I still wanted to maintain a very polished, sophisticated,
06:05seductive look for her.
06:07Okay, Vogue, I'm in my final look for the Met Gala!
06:10I'm so excited!
06:11I'm just so glad I got to do this with Vera.
06:14Glam is doing their thing.
06:15They still don't even know how to stop.
06:16But we look good, we look great,
06:17and we're about to walk out the door.
06:19See you there!
06:23See you there!