All eyes were on Ezra Miller as he strutted the red carpet at the 2019 Met Gala on Monday in a look that fully embraced this year’s “Camp” theme.
The Fantastic Beasts star arrived at the 2019 Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute benefit decked out in a Burberry suit, rhinestone corset and matching bejeweled wingtips, and covering his face with a mask of his own face. But the real show-stopping detail was only revealed after Miller lowered his mask to show that his face was painted with five optical-illusion eyeballs surrounding his real eyes.
“The celebration of camp is almost funereal,” Miller told Vice of his look. “It’s almost like it dies as it walks in the room. But I think it consumes the other as well. You know? I think it’s like fire and oxygen.”
Miller collaborated on his surreal appearance — which called to mind the work of artists like Dali and Magritte — with Burberry creative director Riccardo Tisci.
“I had a lot of bizarre thoughts in my brain and was trying to explain them to several people who, in many cases, received it with apprehension, even fear,” Miller said. “Riccardo was immediately super-exuberant and enthusiastic about the notion. We talked on the phone and from what I’m told, two minutes into the conversation he was drawing the look.”
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Stop Looking for Your Forever Home
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com