Prepping for the Met Gala with Liu Wen, China's Biggest Model
On the eve of the Met Gala, in the lobby of the Upper East Side’s Mark Hotel, there is a beautiful chaos in the air. Though the official call time for attendees is not until 6pm, at 3:30 the sidewalks are lined with paparazzi and phone-waving fans. Passing nervously through the crowd, I looked down until reaching the elevators. The room is buzzing. Adrian Brody and his beautiful nose appear, looking inconspicuous in a hoodie and baseball cap, and we make small talk as we watch the numbers light up in descending order. It’s taking FOREVER. “What do you think they’re doing in there?” Brody asks me, nodding toward the doors.
“…Making out?” I say with a guffaw. He laughs. The elevator finally arrives, and four of us (plus a few suitcases) cram inside. The doors stay open just long enough for me to notice Mario Testino waiting in line for the next car.
I reach the fifth floor and head to Liu Wen’s room. For those of you who don’t know, Wen is one of China’s biggest models and a current face of Estée Lauder. She is sitting on the bed next to the window with straight hair and bare faced…but not for long. Her longtime hair and makeup artist, Nick He, has flown in from China for the first time to help his famous client get ready for what’s arguably fashion’s biggest event—and this year, the theme, “China: Through the Looking Glass”—holds a special meaning for the porcelain-skinned Beijing-bred beauty.
Though Wen, 26, now calls New York City’s East Village home, she feels immense pride when it comes to her Chinese heritage, and was “super excited” upon learning the event’s China theme. “I’m from a small city, so [growing up, I never knew I wanted to be a model, because in my hometown we didn’t have fashion,” she tells Yahoo Style. “I moved to New York almost four years ago, and when I heard about [the theme], I was like, Oh my god, I’m so proud for my country. Tonight is so special for the Chinese.” This is Wen’s sixth Met Gala, and with the theme being so close to her heart, she’s just as giddy getting ready as she was her first time.
“Tonight, for me, it’s special because it’s about Chinese culture,” she continues, as He fills in her brows. “It’s really touched my heart.”
“It’s not just for the fashion. It’s also for the culture, the country. There’s a lot of different artistic elements, from calligraphy to architecture; it’s all combined together. I like that they’re doing this East and West thing coming together—it makes the world feel very small. Everyone having a conversation together, models, actors, directors… it’s really great.”
While the 2015 Met Gala may not be all about the fashion, it’s certainly playing a major role. Wen, who arrived on the arm of Michael Kors for the fete, chose a custom-made gold-and-black lace gown by the designer. “It reminds me of Chinese porcelain, like vases, and the colors look very different with the different lighting. Michael loved this one—It’s very beautiful and elegant. It’s kind of like a couture piece—they made it for me!”
Click through for a photo diary of Wen’s Met Gala prep.
