Whitney Peak’s Met Gala Look Was a 385-Hour Tribute to the Women in Her Life

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When Whitney Peak thinks of the first Monday in May, she can't help but think of Chanel. She already has two Chanel Met Gala red carpet looks on her style résumé before the 2025 installment on May 5. Her first was a long-sleeved, tiered gown for 2021's "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" event. Then came a tulle camellia confection and pearlescent nails for "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," in 2023.

"The first time I was 18, so I was kind of coming in very fresh," the actress reflects hours before walking the Metropolitan Museum's steps for a third time, in celebration of "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style." "I feel like the more times that we work together, I feel almost more freedom to experiment, to play a little bit."

The 2025 Met Gala red carpet culminated in Peak's most personal Chanel look yet. She says she didn't necessarily "take a risk," but she was more vocal in deciding how the "Tailored for You" dress code, honoring the style legacy of Black dandies from the 19th century to the present, would be tailored for her.

She landed on an entirely custom outfit crafted over 385 hours at Chanel's Maisons d'art. The basis was look 36 from the house's Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2025 collection—which the Sunrise on the Reaping star's input transformed into a custom dress made from raspberry crêpe and mousseline. It flows into an asymmetrical buttoned skirt with black sequin tweed, and comes topped with a braided jacket (plus, a jaunty tweed hat).

“I'm happy with where we landed because it's kind of a balance,” Peak explains. “It's classic and it's tasteful and it's made for me and it's colorful. I feel like it's a good representation of where I am in my life and how I want to play with fashion.”

While the shimmering black tweed and tied bow blouse are steeped in Chanel's DNA, Peak wove references to the matriarchs in her life into the look as well. "It's just very heavily inspired by the women that have inspired my life and my sense of fashion," she says. Some of the nods come from her personal history: Peak mentions how her mother and grandmother dressed for family occasions when she was younger, elegant and regal.

Reflecting on the sweeping history of Black dandyism at this year's Met Gala, she also sought to pay homage to legends like Eartha Kitt and Josephine Baker. "They would have these beautiful, very overly feminine and extravagant looks, but then they would also wear a very well-fitting suit and a little hat and have like a cigar coming out, you know what I mean?"

Peak selected Chanel high jewelry and a never-before-seen watch with a personal philosophy: "I just wanted to feel powerful and confident. So anything that I saw or that I put on that made me feel that way, I was like, yeah, this is it."

She chose Lune Talisman Buttons earrings in 18k gold, along with a stunning ring that combines 18k white gold, 18k yellow gold, diamonds, sapphires, garnets, and Japanese cultured pearl. Her Première Galon watch, set in 18k gold with a braided motif bracelet, won’t be available in stores until October 2025—an extra-luxurious complement to her custom dress.

The focus turned back to legendary women in fashion history when it came time to add the finishing hair and makeup touches. Makeup artist Tyron Machhausen looked back at Pat Cleveland and Diana Ross to craft a '70s glam moment that softened around Peak's eyes and created a dewy effect on her skin. "The focus of this look was the lip. A deep, glossy lip always feels luxurious to me—bold, but still wearable," he says. "I chose a rich shade, with a high-shine finish, to channel that sense of drama and indulgence."

Hairstylist Naeemah Lafond emphasized the placement of the tweed Chanel hat, with Peak's hair cascading over her shoulders behind her, revealing only a glimpse of a braided kiss curl on her cheek. "I just wanted to have a little more drama and the hat definitely definitely served in that category," Peak says.

Peak was just as excited to take in the new Met Gala exhibit as she was to debut her custom Chanel look. The nods to historic Black figures in her outfit were only the beginning—"Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" traces a centuries-long legacy. “It feels like such a celebration of our culture and our people and our influence on fashion,” she says. “And for people that aren't Black, it's an opportunity to educate yourself and to actually learn and be curious about how Black people have influenced today's culture, time and time again. I just think it's a great conversation to open up.”

Photographer Matthew Priestley, Courtesy of CHANEL | Hairstylist Naeemah Lafond | Makeup Artist Tyron Machhausen | Nail Artist Betina Goldstein