Kiki Layne’s 2022 Met Gala Look Was a Celebration of Black Beauty

The 2022 Met Gala saw KiKi Layne once again using the red carpet to make a statement. Along with her custom pink Prabal Gurung gown and pink satin Stuart Weitzman platforms, Layne wore a perfectly shaped afro. As her hairstylist Tish Celestine explained it, the Gilded Age “was a time when wearing our natural hair as it is, would not have been celebrated. So,” she continued, “I wanted to represent the balance of enslaved African Americans and the elite African Americans of the Gilded Age.”

Styled by duo Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald, the If Beale Street Could Talk star accentuated her ensemble with long white gloves, a delicate Mimi So necklace, and a teapot-shaped Judith Lieber purse. 

Celebrity makeup artist Billie Gene tells Vogue the inspiration for Layne’s makeup was organic soft glamour. “This was an era of rich opulence; so we wanted to make sure the look felt luxurious and elegant.” Gene kept skin flawless and velvety, thanks to Fashion Fair’s SkinFlex Foundation Stick, complemented by a flushed pink atop her cheeks. (The iconic Black-owned beauty brand of the ’70s and ’80s relaunched in 2021 with Layne as its ambassador.) Her eye look stole the show though, with matching pink flower petals which were hand-picked off Layne’s dress and carefully placed across her lids.

Here, a behind-the-scenes peek at Layne’s getting-ready glam session.