Jenna Lyons is still not over the dress she wore to the 2011 Met Gala.
“I don’t know if she needs an introduction,” Lyons, 55, said of the white feather-adorned gown during a tour of her SoHo apartment with Vogue on Monday, July 24. “She’s had a lot of exposure.”
The Real Housewives of New York City star explained that the occasion marked her first time going to the annual ball, and she was “very excited” to wear the design. She continued, “I left feathers all the way down the red carpet.”
That evening, Lyons paired the dress, which featured a round neckline and spaghetti straps with a beige sweater, with a red lip and dangling earrings.
Lyons wore the garment a second time for Solange Knowles’ wedding to Alan Ferguson in New Orleans in 2014. “She asked everyone to wear white. I normally would not wear white to a wedding,” Lyons clarified. “As I was walking into the church, there was a paparazzi who snapped my picture, and that picture has been seen across the world. I think that picture is more popular than I am.”
Lyons explained that the piece is hand-beaded and hand-embroidered by a company called Shameza. “They did all the embroidery and beading for Oscar de la Renta, and they’ve worked with Chanel. It’s some of the most delicate and fine beading you’ve ever seen.”
She went on to share that “a lot” of people have asked if they can buy the gown or rent it for their wedding, to which Lyons always says no. “It’s probably one of my most prized possessions,” she gushed. “I might bury myself in it.”
Elsewhere in the video, Lyons showed off another article of clothing she holds dear to my heart.
“This is from my senior project,” she said, holding up a bronze-colored puffer jacket. “I went to Parsons, and Donna Karan was my critic, and I was making this duchess satin jacket. She said to me at our critique, and she said to me, ‘Can you make it down felt?’”
Lyons continued: “I don’t know if I can explain, I was, you know, 19. I had no money, so I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and I bought a comforter and then I double stitched it and pulled all the feathers out in between, and this is the end result.”
“Can you believe I made this thing?”
After Parsons, Lyons went on to establish herself as a fashionable force to be reckoned with.
She was the executive creative director and president of J.Crew from 2010 until April 2017. She has been recognized for elevating the retailer by offering elevated evening wear and refined casual style. Since her departure, Lyons has made her mark on the beauty world, launching LoveSeen — a faux lash brand.
More recently, she made her debut in the revamped Real Housewives of New York City alongside Jessel Taank, Erin Dana Lichy, Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan and Brynn Whitfield.
