Rosé's Third Met Gala: A Saint Laurent Dove and a "Quiet Storm"
VOGUE JAPAN
This Vogue "Last Looks" segment follows BLACKPINK's Rosé as she gets ready for the 2026 Met Gala, her third time attending. It opens with her laughing that she's late, and it ends with her heading out the door, hoping she'll make it on time. In between, she talks about how her relationship with the event has changed, introduces the team that prepares her, and explains the thinking behind her Saint Laurent gown. Her stylist adds their own reading of what the look is meant to say about her.
Turning "Three" in the Met World
Rosé says she is "turning three today in the Met world," and that she's more excited this year than in either previous year. She puts the change down to experience. Now that she knows what to expect, she feels "much more peaceful" than she did the past two years.
She describes her first year as one where she "didn't even understand the process of preparing an outfit." She credits Anthony and Saint Laurent with having "really, really carried that" for her, and says they still do. The difference now is that the process feels "a little more intentional" to her, because she understands the detailed preparation the Gala involves. She doesn't claim to be fully composed, though. The nerves could "kick in at any time," she says, and she could "lose my chill."
Friends, and a BLACKPINK Reunion
Over the years, Rosé says, she has made more friendships through the event, and she hopes to run into more friends this year because everyone is usually so busy. She is especially looking forward to seeing the other BLACKPINK members at the Gala. She had hoped all four of them would gather the previous year, but that didn't happen. She says it will happen this year.
What Comes Next
Asked about her plans, Rosé says she is working on music and also "working on myself and learning about myself" along the way. She expects the next year or so to be exciting even for her, as she discovers "what there is left to do in the world" and what she likes, loves, and is interested in. She says she's ready for "lots of surprises," and suggests fans should be too. She gives no concrete details about releases.
The Team
Rosé calls the people around her "our team" and introduces several of them. Won Jung Yo, her makeup artist, is working her second Met with Rosé and is dressed in Saint Laurent herself, in keeping with Rosé attending with the brand. Lee Sun Young, her hair stylist, has worked with her for almost ten years. Rosé says she "grew up with her with Black Pink" and calls her the best hair stylist in Korea "of all time," a compliment that nearly brings the stylist to tears.
She also introduces the staff who support the artists. The names given include Ji Won, Yuna, Ashley, Jess, Jane, Megan (jokingly called "the mascot"), Ted, and Min Sun, who is helping with styling that day. Rosé teases two of the team for being so shy that they're "looking at the wall."
Choosing the Look: Art, Fashion, and a Recurring Bird
Rosé says the theme directly inspired her look. Laura sent a few ideas built around art and fashion, and from those they picked a design Yves Saint Laurent had used multiple times: a bird painting. Rosé calls it "very symbolic and iconic," a motif that keeps coming back over time. She notes that Anthony has reused it in his recent collections.
What fascinated her was how Anthony built his silhouette around the bird. In her words, he made it "elegant and chic and effortless" while keeping it iconic.
The Stylist's View: A "Quiet Storm"
The stylist describes the main-carpet dress as "so subtle and sexy," with a high slit. For them, Rosé is a "quiet storm." Everything about her seems simple and easy, but when she gets into a garment, she "turns on this thing." They say the clothes have to reflect that side of her personality. Her looks are never over the top or too dramatic. Instead they rely on simple choices in the cut or silhouette, a small detail, and what Rosé herself brings to them.
When the theme and dress code came out, the stylist says they "automatically went back to Mr. Saint Laurent." The shortlist came down to two options: the dove that ended up on the gown, or the Mondrian design Saint Laurent was also famous for. They chose the dove.
The stylist also traces the reference through time. It started in the 1950s, Saint Laurent revisited it in the 1980s, and now in 2026 Anthony has turned it into what the stylist calls "the modern Saint Laurent woman."
A Coat for Luck
The stylist explains that the coat they're wearing belonged to André Leon Talley. They say he held a position "at the top of the stairs" at the Met for many years, and they wore the coat to "bring a piece of him for good luck." Rosé is invited to rub it for luck before she's dressed.
Final Touches and Departure
As she's dressed, the team reminds each other not to forget the jewelry: "You can't forget Tiffany." Fully ready, Rosé says she feels "very Saint Laurent" and "like I'm about to fly," a nod to the bird on her gown. The segment ends where it began, with Rosé worried about the clock. She says she thinks she might be on time and doesn't want to be late, then says goodbye and leaves for the carpet.
What the heck? Actually, I shouldn't laugh.
I think I'm late for the Met. I have to go. I have to go. Oh,
This is my third Met Gala. I'm turning three today in the Met world. I'm actually more excited than any of the other years. So, I must be growing up.
Now I know what to expect. I feel much more peaceful than the past 2 years. The first year, like I just didn't even understand the process of preparing an outfit. So, like, you know, heavily Anthony and Saint Laurent really, really carried that for me, and they still do, but I feel like just feels a little more intentional, and yeah, just understand all the detailed preparation that this Gala is about. But, who knows? The nerves can kick in at any time, and I will lose my chill.
I think over the years I've gotten to create more friendships, so hopefully I'll bump into more friends this year, and I'm really excited cuz we're all like really, really busy. Oh, actually, I'm really excited to meet all the Blackpink girls at the Gala. I was really hoping that we'd all gather, you know, the four of us last year, but it didn't happen. So, this year it's going to happen, and I'm really, really excited to see them all.
I'm working on music, and I'm also really like working on myself and learning about myself as I do that. So, like the next year or so, I think will be really exciting for even myself to discover what there is left to do in the world, what I like, what I love, what I'm interested in, and I think surprises. I'm ready for lots of surprises, and so I think the fans should be, too.
We call it our team, like our team. This is Won Jung Yo, my makeup artist. She
This is our second Met together. She has worn Saint Laurent for us today. You know, on theme, you were attending with Saint Laurent, so
And this is Sun Young Shil Jang Nim. Lee Sun Young. Almost 10 years. So, I grew up with her with Blackpink, and she's literally the best hair stylist in Korea, literally of all time. She's like, "I'm going to cry."
And these are the girls who are supporting our artists. Ji Won. Ji Won right here. We have Yuna. Ashley's right there. There's Sooner. Sooner, where are you? We've got Jess. Jess is right there. There's Jane over there. Somebody just get her. Oh my gosh. Megan is the mascot. That's Ted. There's Min Sun. She's helping styling today, and this is my team. Our team.
Oh, she wants me to be a shiny rosy.
They're so shy. Look, they're looking at the wall. They're both like looking at the wall.
Joan. Top end result.
So the theme definitely inspired my look. Well, Laura sent a few ideas, you know, themes around art, you know, art and fashion, and out of them we were able to pick this design that Yves Saint Laurent had used multiple times. It's also a very symbolic and iconic design that reoccurs over time. Anthony has reused it in his recent collections. It's this bird painting. It was really fascinating to see how Anthony put his beautiful silhouette around this bird and made it so elegant and chic and effortless, but you know, still very iconic, and I'm really, really excited to wear it tonight. Yeah.
My third year at the Met. We're learning things.
So this is the dress for the main carpet. So subtle and sexy. You have a high slit. For me, Rosé's like this quiet storm, right? Everything seems really simple and easy, and then when she gets in the garment or the design, she kind of like turns on this thing, you know, so she's my like quiet storm, but the clothes have to reflect that part of her personality, right? It's never over the top. It's never too dramatic. It's always these simple things, you know, in the cut or the silhouette, but then it's like the small detail and it's what she brings to it.
Of course, when the theme came out and the dress code came out, I automatically went back to Mr. Saint Laurent. This dove that's on her gown. It was that or it was the Mondrian, which also Mr. Saint Laurent was famous for creating, and it is incredible. I can't wait for the world to see.
Hi. Happy Met. Hello. You look beautiful. We have the same hair. Oh, we do. We're competing. We love it. It's terrible. Yeah. We love this one.
Anthony took the reference and just made it exactly what he said, like the modern Saint Laurent woman, you know, because this reference started in the 50s and then as Saint Laurent did in the 80s and now here in 2026.
This coat was André Leon Talley's, so I wore it because I like wanted to bring a piece of him for good luck for us tonight for the Met. That's nice. His position was at the top of the stairs for many, many years, so I just brought a little bit of him. Rub it for good luck. All right, let's get you dressed. All right.
Wow. We have to get this. Yes. You cannot forget this. You can't forget Tiffany.
So, I am in my full final look with the jewels, and I feel very Saint Laurent, and I feel like I'm about to fly. Exactly.
All right, babe. I am ready, and I think I might be on time. I don't want to be late, so I think I've got to go. Bye.
Okay, darling. Bye.
Hey.
Hey.
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