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Actress Monica Barbaro is having a year of firsts. She was nominated for her first Academy Award for her role in A Complete Unknown, and she just walked her first-ever blue carpet at The 2025 Costume Institute Benefit wearing Christian Dior. “This is my first Met Gala,” she tells Bazaar exclusively. “I have been watching from afar for decades, so I am just so excited to get to be here.”
Barbaro wore a white Bar Jacket inspired by Christian Dior’s The New Look collection from 1947. “It’s updated and renewed for the Met Gala theme, which gives such a beautiful dedication to tailoring, and is a nod to a time period within the evolution of Black dandyism.” She says the look, whicih she paired with a full black skirt, black leather gloves, and an askew boater hat, is “very Audrey Hepburn, in a way.”
“This corsetry designing is made in a way where I can actually breathe, believe it or not. It’s not constricting my rib cage at all,” she continues. “It’s just the most perfect construction, I can wear it all night. It’s very easy to move in, which is important because the carpet is a bit of a performance—from what I’ve seen, from home, scrolling on my phone every year.”
The beauty look, also by Dior, took a similarly tailored approach, with makeup by artist Samantha Lau and hair by Jacob Rozenberg. “This makeup look, Sam calls it the spring stroll on the Seine. It’s a rosy flush cheek, very spring, very youthful, bright, and fresh,” Barbaro says. The actress’s hair was styled in soft, ultra-glossy waves that perfectly complemented the placement of the hat.
Key products used by Lau include Dior’s new Rosy Glow Blush in Rosewood and Pink Lilac on the cheeks, as well as the Dior Rouge Dior Contour in Rose Spice and Rouge Dior Lipstick in 724 Tendresse Velvet and 772 Classic Rosewood Velvet on the lips. “Drawing from the delicate beauty of spring in Paris, I used a palette of soft pinks and rose tones to evoke a sense of lightness, elegance, and effortless femininity,” adds Lau.
Dior Capture Le Sérum
$195.00 at dior.com
Dior Capture Day Cream
$145.00 at dior.com
Dior Forever Skin Perfect
$52.00 at dior.com
Dior Forever Skin Contour Stick
$47.00 at
Diorshow 5 Couleurs in Coral Riviera
$71.00 at dior.com
Diorshow Overvolume in 090 Overblack
$33.00 at dior.com
Rouge Dior Contour in Rose Spice
$35.00 at dior.com
Rouge Dior Rouge Dior Lipstick in Classic Rosewood Velvet
$49.00 at dior.com
The Met Gala freshman landed on best dressed lists for her look, which fit the evening’s “tailored for you” dress code to a tee. “It’s such a beautiful moment where costuming meets fashion and current trends, and also references beautiful historical fashion. I just find it to be so fascinating,” Barbaro says. “Every year, I go to the Met to see the exhibit afterward, and this is the first year I get to attend as part of the event.”
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