Lil Nas X Wears 3 Different Head-to-Toe Gold Looks at the Met Gala

Lil Nas X at the 2021 Met Gala.

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

The Met Gala is all about more-is-more fashion, and Lil Nas X, for one, took that notion quite literally. The performer turned the arrivals carpet into a full-on show, stripping down to show off three (yes, three!) different head-to-toe gold looks by Versace. And yes, it was as dramatic as it sounds.

At first appearing in a kingly oversized gold cape with a flowing train, Lil Nas X then removed the outer garment (with some help from assistants) to reveal a shiny gold suit of armor. (Am I the only one who also got major C-3PO vibes from this second look?) Then, because two show-stopping looks simply aren't enough for a showman such as Lil Nas X, he stripped off said suit of armor to show off a third ensemble: a body-hugging zippered jumpsuit bedazzled in an intricate pattern of gold crystals. He topped off the whole thing with chunky-soled shoes, a chain choker and gilded beauty touches in the form of a blinged-out manicure and tiny metallic cat-eye appliqués (easily the most subtle thing about his look).

Per Reuters, the performer told reporters that the reveal was a metaphor for coming out of his shell this year. Love a look that's both show-stealing and meaningful.

Delightful and dramatic though they may be, Lil Nas X's mid-arrivals outfit changes aren't an entirely foreign concept for the Met Gala red carpet. It's a move The New York Times's Vanessa Friedman was quick to point out is reminiscent of Lady Gaga's multi-outfit strip down from the Met Gala arrivals carpet in 2019. (Though Gaga, it's worth noting, wore four different outfits when she pulled off the stunt).