Daniel Lee on Dressing Bright, Barry Keoghan at Met Gala

LONDON — Burberry‘s chief creative officer Daniel Lee went big at this year’s Met Gala, themed around J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story “The Garden of Time,” in which a husband-and-wife duo turn into stone at the end with all the flowers falling apart around them. 

The frozen-in-time slash beauty-in-decay concept saw multiple reinterpretations from Lee on the red carpet on Monday night at the Met Gala, the fundraising event for the Costume Institute, which unveiled its new exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” at the event.

Lee said he was inspired by the central motif of the story’s flora and its connection with British culture. Since his first season at Burberry, flowers such as roses, daisies and daffodils have been integral to his vision for the brand, constantly featured in designs and campaigns.

Making his second appearance at the Met Gala, Burberry brand ambassador Barry Keoghan, according to Lee, was dressed as “a stylish and eccentric gentleman.”

The “Saltburn” actor opted for a look incorporating Savile Row-inspired elements with a Victorian-era bent to reflect the character of Count Axel in the story.

“The idea of tradition but appropriate to him,” added Lee.

Thai actor and brand ambassador Vachirawit Chivaaree, professionally known as Bright, made his Met Gala debut in a jacket made entirely out of pleated georgette embroidered with tonal bullion and wide-leg silk tuxedo trousers with a tonal bullion stripe. His look referenced the theme of royalty in the story.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell wore a column gown with an internal corset and dramatic cascading fringe in metallic aqua embroidery that took more than 200 hours to make.

“This dress is inspired by Naomi; I wanted to design something unique for her,” said Lee.

Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton’s Met Gala look was inspired by the story of John Ystumllyn, one of Britain’s first Black gardeners, and by the language of flowers in Black history.

His outfit was hand-embroidered for two weeks by a team of 20 before the finishing touches were painted by hand in New York over the weekend.

“Lewis’ coat is embroidered with periwinkles for endurance, yucca for eternity and protecting restless spirits, daffodils known as ‘pass-along’ flowers for their hardiness, and cedar branches for everlasting life,” explained Lee.

For British Jamaican actress Jodie Turner-Smith, Lee said her dress, which features around 150,000 crystal embellishments and a 6-meter train, was directly inspired by the crystal flowers that have the power to halt time in “The Garden of Time.”

“The designs of the flowers are delicate and hand-embroidered over a reflective surface. They are evocative of crystals but are, in fact, crystal pearls,” added Lee.

British veteran model Lily Donaldson, who made a surprise appearance at the brand’s fall 2024 show alongside Lily Cole and Maya Wigram, Phoebe Philo‘s eldest daughter, was entrusted by Lee to model “an archetypal gala goddess dress.” She attended the event alongside ballet dancer Roberto Bolle, life partner of Lee.

“But it’s broken down,” said Lee, adding that the sequins, in Burberry trench beige, tangled with a texture almost like a plant decaying, was a tribute to this year’s exhibition, where some garments are too fragile to hang on mannequins; instead they are entombed in glass. 

Burberry’s table also included Chinese top model He Chong, who wore a contemporary iteration of a Hollywood Golden Age dress in liquid gold, and British rapper Little Simz, donning a long leather trench from the fall 2024 collection, as well as Chioma Nnadi, head of editorial content at British Vogue.

“Nnadi represents modern British fashion. Her look is embellished with diamanté, referencing Ballard’s crystal garden flowers. It’s a ruffled evening dress, worn over wide-leg tuxedo trousers,” said Lee.