Ever since Phoebe Bridgers wore it on the cover of her 2023 album Punisher, With a Halloween skeleton suit, the singer has made bones a signature element of her performances, music videos and red carpet appearances (see: the Thom Browne suit she wore to last year’s Grammys). It was only natural, then, that Bridgers would bring this theme to the 2023 Met Gala – only, her custom Tory Burch dress had a more unexpected and glamorous feel to it . “I’ve been wearing a skeleton costume all my adult life, but it’s really cool and subtle,” said Bridgers, who is attending for the second time this year.
Of course, it never occurred to Bridgers to make this her signature. “It just happened,” Bridgers said. “It started out as a really cheap $ cutout suit—and then it became a Thom Browne suit.” Even so, she’s happy to see her fans Adopt the style: Go to any of her concerts and you’ll always see a few skeleton-clad spectators in the crowd. “It’s so cool,” Bridgers said. “I even saw an instructional video on TikTok where a fan taught their followers how to make a spinning top.”
While Bridgers and Burch were brainstorming ideas for this year’s Met Gala , apparently they wanted to do a night-ready riff on her skeleton suit. The result was Burch’s bespoke gown in lingerie mesh and duchesse satin, with hook-and-eye closures, an open back, and a ruched chiffon trail. Embroidered ivory pearls on the skirt roughly outline the shape of a skull. “Phoebe and I talked about abstracting her skeletal suit,” says Burch. “I love this challenge because I think it works perfectly against the backdrop of Karl Lagerfeld’s signature. I would also like to continue our autumn 2023 collection with lingerie details. I’m interested in Challenging perceptions of femininity and revealing what is often hidden.” The pearls are from the Burch studio’s existing stock and are a tribute to Lagerfeld, who loved using these gemstones in his creations.
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