Swimsuit

Everyone’s Talking About Tyla’s Figure-Hugging Sand Sculpture Met Gala Look

The Grammy Award-winning singer worked with luxury label Balmain for her debut at the biggest night in fashion.

Ananya Panchal

Tyla
Tyla / Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

South African singer-songwriter Tyla truly stole the show at the 2024 Met Gala. The Grammy Award-winning artist, who was honored with the Best African Music Performance earlier this year for her hit, “Water,” worked with luxury fashion house Balmain to create the most fabulous look for the event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 6.

This year’s Met Gala theme was “Sleeping Beauty: Reawakening Fashion,” while the dress code was “Garden of Time.” The 22-year-old dressed accordingly and showed off her perfect, hourglass figure in a sand sculpture dress, molded precisely to her body, to mimic an actual sand-filled hourglass.

“We were looking to do something creative, something completely different for my first Met Gala,” the the Johannesburg native told Vogue. “So when Balmain showed me the idea and sketch, I just knew it was perfect. The idea was crazy, and I loved it.”

The strapless dress featured a raw, earthy, imperfect neckline and was made to hug every curve of the musician’s figure, ending with a mermaid-silhouette flare. She accessorized with a unique wavy gold choker necklace, dangly earrings, chunky rings and a Balmain hourglass clutch purse. Her short, dark hair was creatively styled into a messy wet look, and parted to one side, while Tyla rocked the most sun-kissed, bronzed goddess-inspired glam look. A layer of sparkly sand was also sprinkled on her shoulders.

Since last night’s event, a hilarious video of Tyla being carried up the museum’s steps has gone viral, as her gown didn’t allow for much movement. A member of her team effortlessly picked her up and placed her on a higher step, while three more individuals carried the tails of the gown.

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.

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