Was Tyla's Form-Fitting Sand Dress the Best Look of the Met Gala?

South African singer and songwriter Tyla made her Met Gala debut this year, stepping out in an incredible gown that appeared sculpted to her body and covered in sand. Made by Olivier Rousteing for Balmain, the textured gown made Tyla look like an artistic sculpture and resulted in her being carried up the stairs for fear of it getting damaged.

The artist's look may not immediately seem like it lends itself to the 2024 Met Gala themes of "The Garden of Time" and "Sleeping Beauties" but it's actually a lot more on theme than you'd first think. Rousteing focused on the concept of "time" for this look, literally translating the hourglass into a fully-fledged gown with an accompanying hourglass bag.

Explaining the process via Instagram, Balmain confirmed: "the Balmain Atelier devised a unique appliqué technique for the gown, which features sand and micro crystal studs pressed directly onto fabric shaped by a plaster cast of the star's own bodice."

Speaking to Vogue about his inspiration, Rousteing said: "The inspiration behind this creation stemmed from a desire to redefine boundaries and transform a transient material into an everlasting masterpiece. The idea of sculpting a garment from something as ephemeral as sand ignited my imagination, and I could not be happier with the end result.

Take a closer look at Tyla's sand-covered gown above and for more Met Gala moments, check out the most daring outfits from this year's red (green) carpet.