Damson Idris' Met Gala Look Would Make Sidney Poitier Proud
The Met Gala 2022 "Gilded Glamour" red carpet has come and gone but outfit aftermath lingers on. The first Monday in May churned out the requisite spread of best looks — and some not-so-best ones — but some are good enough to deserve a second look, like Damson Idris' Dunhill outfit.
While we missed appearances from an IRL Rihanna and Zendaya this year, we did enjoy some Met Gala action from full-time actor and part-time social media heartthrob Damson Idris.
For his first-ever Met Gala event, the Snowfall star made his debut Met Gala appearance a memorable one, showing love to one of the many entertainment legends who inspired him: the late, great Sidney Poitier.
"Mr. Poitier was, is, and will forever be a leader," Damson Idris told Highsnobiety. "The barriers he broke down inspire me to also fight for meaningful change."
"As a Black actor, it means the world to see someone who looks like you at the top of their game. It makes you feel like you too can reach great heights in your career. I couldn't imagine any other mood to bring with me to my first Met Gala."
And, what better way to bring this vision to life than with a classic British linkup between Idris and dunhill?
With the London native and British menswear house working together, the process felt quite organic. Idris said that everything basically "just clicked and made sense" and dunhill's creative director Mark Weston concurred, describing the creative process as "free-flowing."
After a few Zoom calls with Weston and his team of skilled designers, Idris landed on a specific look, which just so happened to also be Weston's favorite (great minds think alike).
With the Met Gala 2022's "Gilded Glamour" theme and a 1964 photo of Poitier's Oscar moment in mind, Weston was able to "reimagine Old Hollywood by uniting luxurious, classic evening fabrics with [dunhill's] signature house style."
Thus, the Idris suit was born – a "fine balance," as Weston puts it, of Idris' tastes, Poitier's essence, and dunhill's quintessential design ethos.
Like Poitier's look, dunhill plays around with the concept of layering and textures in Idris' suit, starting with the British-milled Barathea wool and house wrap-style cut double-breasted evening jacket. Underneath, you'll then find a tailored wrap waistcoat equipped with a silky-smooth satin lapel.
Finally, a white cotton point-collar shirt and a silk roll neckpiece top Idris' dunhill ensemble — a Met Gala 2022 theme-approved nod to the Poitier's mastery of white-tie elegance.
Of course, the look's underlying details also checks off the Met Gala's boxes as the evening jacket boasts gold buttons that shimmer as the wearer moves (you know, for that gilded glamour).
Like Idris, Mark Weston is a sucker for details. That obsession with fine-tuned perfection is one of dunhill's many trademarks, which celebs like Steve Harvey and Jake Gyllenhaal enjoy.
"For me, the details that get me excited are the subtle elements of cut and finish: the hidden gold brass details, the individual handmade buttonholes," Weston explained. "Those fine details that require skill and patience to master. They're the considerations that matter to us as a House, that unrivaled precision and attention to detail, and without them, you just have banality."
"Given the high fashion decibels at The Met Gala, Damson's look is very seductive, both through restraint and style authority.
Paying homage to a legend through stellar tailoring and luxe details makes for a solid introduction to the Met Gala. And, I'm sure that if Poitier were here to witness Damson Idris' honorary 'fit, he'd give it his blessing.
