Maluma Opens Up About Bringing 'Don Juan Vibes' to the Met Gala
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You know you’ve made it when over 62 million people know your name. You know you’ve really made it when you only need one name. Maluma needs no introduction; his music says it all. And tonight, he’s heading to the Met Gala in a custom Boss look that’s sure to turn heads.
This is the Colombian singer’s third time at the gala. “The first time was with Moschino, the second one with Donatella Versace, which was pretty iconic. And now with Hugo Boss,” he tells me over the phone. “It’s a beautiful, beautiful outfit. We were all part of it. I think the creative process was pretty fun.” The inspiration comes directly from the brand’s 1998 spring/summer lookbook, photographed by Karl Lagerfeld—the theme of the 2023 Met Gala—himself. Marco Falcioni, SVP of creative direction at Hugo Boss, adds, “The defining accessory is a fringe-embellished, silk scarf. It is subtly embroidered with Karl Lagerfeld’s words from a handwritten note addressed to the former creative director and designer of Hugo Boss, the same year he shot the black-and-white lookbook.”
The Grammy winner’s success doesn’t come without humility, as he makes sure to pay homage to his roots through his foundation. “Not everybody talks about it or knows about it, but I have a big foundation in Colombia that is called El Arte de Los Sueños [The Art of Dreams]. We have more than 400 kids in Colombia that we’ve rescued from the hoods, and we give them dance lessons, singing lessons,” Maluma says. “I feel proud of it, and I feel like I’m putting the energy in that project and changing, in a good way, everything.”
Everything about Maluma just makes sense. His style reflects his music which reflects his essence. He’s got it all going on, and the Met Gala is only one example. But it’s a big one, so he brings me up to speed on everything going through his mind ahead of the bash. From new music to American and Latin American inspirations, here’s what he share.
On the theme
The theme is pretty important this year. Karl is such a legend—I’m a huge fan of his. I saw everything that he did with Chanel and everything he worked on; it was pretty inspiring for me. I love what’s going to happen tonight, and hopefully we’re gonna have fun there. That’s the great thing about the Met Gala. Once you get in, you have fun. You meet new people over there. For me, it’s not like I’m working. I just go to have fun.
On his style evolution
I just love to be myself. I love wearing what I love to wear. I only wear things that are part of my DNA. Right now, the Don Juan vibes, because I’m creating my new album right now that’s called Don Juan. It’s more like this mix of James Bond and Bruce Wayne and Hugh Hefner. Right now I’m more classy, but also kind of street style with the braids. I love trying to find that balance between that side and my first albums. I’m doing a bunch of global music, but not forgetting about the street style that made me who I am.
I feel like my essence has been the same, but I’ve been evolving my career and in my style. Ten years ago, to be honest, I didn’t like any of my outfits. I mean I was just starting, and it’s a matter of being in the game more and more everyday. When I was younger, I remember that I loved to wear whatever I wanted. All my friends used to wear these formal suits, and I was just totally the opposite. You know, like big jackets, big belts, and just trying to change the game a little bit. I feel like my essence is still the same, so I have some outfits that I don’t really love, but it represents the Maluma in that time.
On farms and family
For me, my family is very important. My family, my animals—they keep me super grounded. I have a farm in Colombia, like outside of Medellín, and I have a bunch of horses, cows, goats. So I love going there with my family, doing these family barbecues, and it still feels like home. That’s what keeps me grounded, feeling like I’m still that young dreamer kid that just wanted to change the path for my family. And that’s what I’m doing. I also understand that it’s just the beginning, I’m just starting, and my career is so beautiful. I want to keep exploring, exploding, going deeper in genres. I want to keep living through art.
On inspiration
In Latin America, we grew up watching American movies and American television. So when I was a kid, the American artists were all my biggest inspirations, like Justin Timberlake. I used to listen to a bunch of hip hop and rap, to 50 cent, Eminem. Also style, I love what Lenny Kravitz does with his style; it’s something super iconic. Also Michael Jackson. But I feel very proud to be Latino; I wouldn’t change that. When I go to Latin America, people want to be together. It doesn’t matter if we want there to be 50, 60, 70 people from one family at a big barbecue. It doesn’t matter. There’s always space for more people, you know. When I come to the United States and I try to create that scene, it’s almost impossible. I feel like people here, they don’t talk to each other that much, the way we do in Latin America. So my biggest career inspirations have been from America, but culturally, spiritually, and in the deepest way of my heart, I’m proud to be Latino.
A quick rant
Okay, I hate when I have no time to eat. I really hate that. You know, like for me that's priority. And going to the gym and working out. If I don’t work out and eat at the times that I want to, it changes everything in my own mind. People think that I’m joking, but I feel like my body just gets out of control, so for me that’s very important.
On what's next
Beautiful things are coming, I'm doing my new album. Also, I'm going to start a whole world tour pretty soon. And I’m happy to announce that Hugo Boss is going to be partnering with us. We are going to create the whole concept with Hugo Boss. The Don Juan and Hugo Boss collaboration is going to be shaped this next season, so we are ready.
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