Met Gala

Hailee Steinfeld Wore a Swirling Vortex of Upcycled Ocean Plastic to the 2021 Met Gala

The Iris van Herpen Magnetosphere Dress took 640 hours to make.
Image may contain Clothing Apparel Evening Dress Fashion Gown Robe Human Person and Art
Photo by Amber Asaly.

In honor of the 2021 Met gala on Monday Night, Hailee Steinfeld took Instagram followers on a trip down memory lane, posting all the previous looks she’d worn to fashion’s biggest night out: there’s the 2011 Stella McCartney high-low dress, the 2014 Prabal Gurung tuxedo-y ballgown, and of course, 2019’s Viktor & Rolfe “No Photos Please” confection in tulle. For her tenth year attending fashion’s biggest night out, the 24-year-old actress and singer debuted the Iris van Herpen Magnetosphere Dress alongside a chic blonde bob and freshly bleached eyebrows. 

“When the theme was camp, I remember feeling like this is truly so fun,” Steinfeld, who’s set to star in the upcoming Disney+ Hawkeye series, told Vanity Fair. “That year and this year are my favorites in terms of the transformation of the looks.” 

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.

As for whether the nerves ever go away, even as a seasoned red carpet pro? Not so much. “This all feels the same,” Steinfeld said. “The anxiety and rush and excitement of getting ready and looking at the time and saying, ‘Oh you have three hours’ and then looking down and you only have fifteen minutes left. That’s about to happen.”

The Magnetosphere Dress, which took over 640 hours to make, is a product of collaboration between Iris van Herpen—a brand with a singular knack for trippy, technologically-inspired creations—and the artist Rogan Brown, known for creating intricate paper cuttings that resemble something you’d find in a petri dish run wild. The result: not so much a dress as a myriad of relief sculptures, made of hand and laser-cut layers of Parley Ocean Plastic, individually stitched to encircle the bodice, forming one extremely delicate circle of life. 

Courtesy of Iris van Herpen Magnetosphere.

The overall effect—simultaneously both organic and fantastical—looks like something between that of a seafoam goddess and killer extraterrestrial. It’s definitely a departure from Steinfeld’s usual red carpet vibe, which has tended more toward clean lines and classic silhouettes, something Steinfeld admits she finds thrilling. 

“First of all, Iris Van Herpen makes art, and I’m so honored to be wearing a piece of her art,” Steinfeld mused. “And the glam tonight is super fun and so unexpected for me, so I’m very excited about it, and maybe a little nervous.” 

And how, exactly, does wearing all those layers of upcycled marine debris actually feel?

“The honest answer is maybe slightly uncomfortable,” Steinfeld said. “But it’s the Met, so it doesn’t matter!”

By John Shearer/Getty Images.
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair 

Natalie Portman on Britney Spears and the Scent of Love
— Behind Queen Elizabeth’s Surprising Wit
— Are the Literary Jonathans Still Relevant?
— The True Story of a Hollywood Partnership Built and Destroyed by Money, Sex, and Celebrity
— The Best Shampoo Bars to Lighten 2021’s Environmental Load
— Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez Make the Most of Summer’s End
— The Most Influential Pop-Rock Band Ever? The Monkees!
— Prince William and Kate Middleton’s “Normal” Parenting Tips
— From the Archive: Meet the Women Who Domesticated the Rolling Stones
— Sign up for “The Buyline” to receive a curated list of fashion, books, and beauty buys in one weekly newsletter.