During the weekend that culminated with the Met Gala on May 6, you may have seen celebrities and fashionistas of all kinds getting facials from Joanna Czech or Sophie Carbonari, but for Quannah Chasinghorse, a pre-glam steam at The Carlyle spa has a different meaning. “It was a great way to start the day and kind of reset,” the 21-year-old model and actress tells NYLON. “And for Native Americans, we have a sweat ceremony, so it was just my alternative to readjust before having a big day. My aunt and my mom are with me, so it was really important to have – them with me.”
Although it was Chasinghorse's fourth Met Ball, her excitement for pairing a custom H&M look with accessories by Native American artist Heather Dixon comes through to her over the phone as she describes how the shape of the dress gestures to the towards the forget me not, the flower of the state. Alaska. “It's a way to pay homage to where I come from,” Chasinghorse says. “And if you look from above and even from the sides [of the dress]they mimic a kind of petals, and the way the shoulders stick out looks like a blooming flower.
“It was a pleasure to partner with Quannah on her Met ball gown,” adds Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor and Head of Womenswear Design at H&M. “The dramatic silhouette, periwinkle color and luxurious fabric were inspired by H&M archive pieces from the 1940s and 1950s, as well as the natural world, in keeping with this year's theme. Quannah looked absolutely stunning and I loved how she styled the dress.”
Then come along as NYLON prepares Chasinghorse with chicken tenders, Cassie, and some thoughts on how to be a shoulder to lean on for first-timers at the Met Gala.
Describe the preparation process.
We started hair and makeup around 1pm but I had to do a shine treatment so we started it at 12pm for my hair. We have [my hairstylist and makeup artist] Katie and Paula with us today. They both did my look last year so to be able to have them with me this year is great.
I can't make coffee so I've been drinking a lot of tea. I had a very good breakfast, though. I had some french toast, eggs benedict, some fruit. And then before the glam arrived, we went down to the spa and I steamed. Then we went back upstairs and started doing our hair and makeup. I had chicken tenders, fries, fries. I'm trying to eat well today so I don't starve to death on the carpet.
what are you listening to
It's all over the place, I just got it in the mix. I got some Ariana Grande, I got some 070 Shake, I got some Doja Cat. I even have some oldies but goodies – they're not oldies, but they're from the 2000s. We've got Nelly Furtado, a bit of Cassie.
What is the inspiration behind your H&M look?
We collaborated, and I decided to make the forget-me-not, which is the state flower of Alaska. When they walk through the snow, they are tiny flowers. Sometimes they are hard to find, so when you see them, you know summer is coming. And they have this really beautiful periwinkle color that has a brilliant iridescence at different angles. So I wanted to play with colors and make a look that had the iridescence of pinks, purples and blues.
How would you describe your hair and makeup?
The look is very ethereal in a way, while the hair will be the edgiest part of the look. But the makeup is very ethereal, very shimmery, shimmery, shimmery. This matches the jewelry in a subtle way, but it's very editorial.
How do you feel about the dress?
Oh, I love it. What's great is that it's actually very, very heavy, but because it fits so well and hugs my body, it's not heavy because it's held in with the corset. I love it because it's so bold and big and so different from what I usually wear. I bring a little edginess to my look, but this one is going to be more feminine, so I'm really excited.
You've talked in the past about how important attending the Met Gala is for performance. How has this message changed for you this year?
I'm really excited to see Lily Gladstone this year and see how she's decked out, because I know she's probably going to have amazing native artistic talent as well. My freshman year I did this article explaining that when you're in these spaces and you don't see anyone who looks like you, you're kind of alone and you don't feel like you belong. And we've come a long way from that. And the fact of going for the fourth time, it is an honor and a blessing that I continue to be invited to these spaces.
I've actually talked to quite a few people who have told me it's their first year. You get nervous, but it's really nice to be able to be almost like a safe space for someone. It's great to have a little more experience in these spaces… I know if I had someone I could go to, like these people will come to me, I would have felt a lot more relaxed and a lot more like I belonged.
What do you have planned after the Met Gala?
Might go out to some after parties. My freshman year, I just moved back into my room; I was so overwhelmed, but in a good way. I was like, “Wow, I just went to the Met,” so I needed that night to embrace that feeling. And my mom and my aunt were there, so it felt really good to be in community with them and share my experience. My sophomore year, I went to an after party and it was so much fun. Last year though, I was so wiped out that I stayed in my room. But this year, I'm going to try to get out and enjoy the after parties.
