Photo: Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty
Jeremy Popetook the “Karl Lagerfeld” theme at this year’s Met Gala to its own level entirely.
Making a jaw-dropping entrance on Monday in custom Balmain, the actor climbed the New York City gala’s famed steps revealing a 30-foot-long black-and-white cape adorned with the late designer’s face.
“Met Gala - Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty crafted together with the most beautiful souls,” Pope, 30,captioned a stunning shot Tuesday on Instagram. “Thank you Balmain family & all of the hands that worked towards creating this special moment. Your dedication to the vision was the only way this was possible.”
Continuing the post, Pope said in 2015, he “manifested that one day Olivier and I would somehow cross paths and have the chance to collaborate and create together. well damn — what a moment this was. forever love to Ugo for grounding every step along the way.”
Pope then thankedAnna WintourandVoguemagazine for the prestigious invite.
“the way my jaw was on the floor when i first saw this….,” another follower expressed of Pope’s mesmerizing display on the white carpet.
Neilson Barnard/MG23/Getty
Clearly catapulting his status, the Broadway star, who is only thesixth person in Tony Award history to be nominated for separate performances during the same year(forChoir BoyandAin’t Too Proudin 2019), has always dreamed big. But before his career took off, Pope wasn’t sure what his future held.
“Growing up I had never seen a Black queer movie star,“The Inspectionstar told PEOPLE in November. “If that was something that I was going to be, was my queerness something I was going to have to hide? It’s definitely been a challenge to abandon a lot of fears that have been put on me.”
As a teenager in Orlando, Fla., Pope recalls having “to choose between running track or doing the school musical, which wasCats,” one year. “I got to meet this community of people who were so fun, free, loving and supportive, in a different way outside of sports,” he said. “It changed my life.”
“Masculinity is so fragile to some people, specifically in the Black community, that I had to relearn how to show up for myself,” he added.
And show up indeed! Pope has basically “won” the 2023 Met Gala according to social media.
Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s"Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” exhibit, which opens to the public May 5, features 150 of the icon’s designs, including his looks for Chanel, Fendi, Balmain, Chloé and his personal line.
source: people.com
