Dear reader, last night’s 2024 Met Gala was quite the spectacle, with Miss Simone Ashley channelling Cher on the red carpet. Make-up artist Hung Vanngo told Vogue that Ashley’s look was not only inspired by the music industry legend but “the element of water” (this year’s Costume Institute exhibition is designed around three zones: land, sea and sky).
Read more: Met Gala 2024 Red Carpet
Like Cher’s signature make-up in the ’70s, Vanngo created statement eyes on Ashley, using a purple eyeshadow – L’Oréal Paris’s Colour Riche Eyeshadow Palette in Violet Amour – followed by a precision application of lipstick in a mauve hue, in keeping with the Prabal Gurung midnight-blue sequined dress that Ashley wore.
Ashley explained, “Prabal being a Nepalese designer, we wanted to pull from both of our heritage, designing a dress that was a nod to saris and South Asian culture. We also drew inspiration from Cher and Bob Mackie. Additionally, I wanted to dip my toes into the water element of the story. The lake from the story really stuck out to me; I knew lots of people would be more focused on the floral motifs, but we wanted to go with something different.”
Hairstylist Shon Hyungsun Ju also looked to the pop icon to inspire Ashley’s hair for the Met Gala theme, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. “The original idea was to create floor-length, super long hair inspired by Cher but I adapted it as I was more inspired by Botticelli hair – more like a goddess with soft waves.” To recreate this on Ashley, Shon first straightened Simone’s naturally curly hair, before using a curling iron to make “a big, flat wave.” Once the wave was set, the hair was finished with L’Oréal’s Shine Serum and Elnett hairspray for extra shine. “The glam went along with this, as we did Botticelli-inspired waves and a make-up look that matched the tones of the dress” said Ashley.
L’Oréal Paris Color Riche Satin Lipstick In 570
£8.99
Boots
L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Eyeshadow Palette In Violet Amour
£28.80
Ninth Avenue
Finishing the modern-retro beauty look were the Cher-inspired long almond nails, which manicurist Betina Goldstein created with press-on nails by Aprés Nail Official. These were coated in a navy gel with elongated gunmetal crystals to match the crystal details of Ashley’s dress.
