Charli XCX’s Punk-Inspired Gown at the 2024 Met Gala Was Made From Patchworked T-Shirts

For Charli, it was an opportunity to go all-out with her fashion, without worrying about any of the practical concerns of choosing a dress for your average night out on the town. “I don’t think practicality has much to do with the Met Gala, I think it’s truly about commitment to the theme and making a once-in-a-lifetime moment happen!” Charli says. “I will say though, despite the train being quite long, the dress is actually really comfortable.” (The finishing touch? A mini aged-leather Marni Trunkaroo bag in embroidered crystals for an extra splash of glitz, as well as a tourmaline ring from New York-based jewelry brand Dyne by Sarah Ysabel Narici.)

With Charli currently on the promo trail for her upcoming sixth album Brat—between co-hosting Vogue’s pre-Met party this past weekend, she also found time to throw a street party in Bushwick and DJ some of her new tracks alongside Kesha and The Dare at Le Bain—the musician has been channeling the record’s club-ready energy with a series of sleek, ‘90s-inspired looks. But she notes that even if her look tonight reads more romantic, it still feels on theme for the Brat era.

“The album is revealing—it’s about embracing your flaws and being brutally honest,” says Charli. “It’s about being okay with being a little broken, a little disheveled, a little volatile—but it’s also celebrating the confidence to do that in the first place. I think this dress speaks to similar themes. It’s a beauty in the chaos-type situation.” So too did the beauty look, which she worked on with the avant-garde makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench and MAC Cosmetics—“we wanted to create a makeup look that felt gothic and romantic to compliment the disheveled delicacy of Charli’s Marni dress,” Ffrench said—and the hair by Matt Benns reflect the spirit of the album.

“We were going for an ultra-romantic, ’90s-inspired feel,” she explains. “The lid is sculpted with a taupe powder and gloss and that’s exactly what I would do in my daily life or if I was going a rave. And Matt Benns did the hair and it’s totally punk but intricate at the same time—kind of a Nina Hagen vibe—and also super Brat!”