Fans get ‘second hand embarrassment’ as Tyla has to be carried up the Met Gala steps

When your Met Gala dress is sculpted to your body, there's only one way to get up the Met steps - and that's to be carried.

Singer Tyla was transported up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art like a statue at this year's Met Gala, which took place in New York on Monday (6 May).

In footage and photos from the evening, Tyla's team had to pick her up and help her up the steps of the red carpet as she stood totally still.

Tyla was wearing a dress that looked like it had been sculpted to her body.

She later explained that being carried was the 'only way' she would have been able to get up the steps, adding that it took 'hours' to create her look.

"So I'm basically wearing sand," she told reporters. "It was amazing working with Balmain, we really thought outside the box for this one which is really exciting.

"Pat McGrath did my make up, she's legendary."

Although fans were totally captivated by the look, many said they had 'second hand embarrassment' over Tyla being transported up the steps.

One wrote: "Can we have like a planet wide meeting? cuz wtf are we doing?"

While another said: "I am gonna get hate but this is ridiculous."

And a third added: "Anyone else get secondhand embarrassment from this?"

However, another person defended Tyla's decision, explaining: "People seem to forget this about having fun with fashion and is meant to show case designers talent.

"This person would not have chosen this dress for herself, and she also would not have worn it all night.

"The designer hit the brief of the theme of the night in a fun imaginative way. It’s for show and then it’s over.

"Calling it ridiculous just completely misses the point. If you don’t understand the Met Gala that’s unfortunate."

Olivier Rousteing, creative director of Balmain, spoke to Vogue about the inspiration behind the dress, explaining: “The inspiration behind this creation stemmed from a desire to redefine boundaries and transform a transient material into an everlasting masterpiece.

“The idea of sculpting a garment from something as ephemeral as sand ignited my imagination and I could not be happier with the end result.”

Meanwhile, Tyla said before the event: “We were looking to do something creative, something completely different for my first Met Gala. So when Balmain showed me the idea and sketch I just knew it was perfect.

“The idea was crazy and I loved it. I’m excited and a little nervous but I’m looking forward to having a fun night at the Met!”

Top 10 Met Gala themes

1985 - Costumes of Royal India

A celebration of Royal India’s fashions, the 1985 Met Gala saw a plethora of South Asian-inspired designs that featured stunning embroidery and extravagant embellishments.

Pop icon Cher turned heads at the 1985 exhibition in a sheer, embellished Bob Mackie gown, truly making fashion history.

1990 - Théâtre de la Mode: Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture

Now a Met Gala connoisseur, 1990 was the first year supermodel Naomi Campbell attended, wearing a colourful mini dress.

This theme was also a rather special one down to the fact it featured mannequins created post-WWII by French fashion designers.

1996 - Christian Dior

The 1996 Met Gala paid homage to the late French fashion designer, who died in 1957.

This particular event is well noted for Princess Diana being in attendance wearing a navy Dior gown.

She had a close relationship with the fashion house - so much so that Dior renamed its 1994 handbag, previously known as Chouchou to Princese, to honour Diana, naming it Lady Dior.

1999 - Rock Style

The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland joined forces for the Met Gala to spotlight classic rock-'n'-roll performers and their pervasive influence on style.

Many will recall this Met Gala for Liv Tyler and Stella McCartney’s matching DIY T-shirts that read ‘Rock Royalty’.

2006 - Anglomania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion

Curated by Andrew Bolton at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 2006 Met Gala featured a classy showcase from British designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and Burberry.

2010 - American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity

2010 was the year to celebrate American women, and the Met Gala exhibition did just that.

Celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry and Sarah Jessica Parker were out in full force showcasing flamboyant designs from the likes of Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney.

2013: Punk: Chaos to Couture

This year’s event benefited the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw celebs push boundaries with punk-themed designs.

From a fishnet-clad Madonna to a bleached blonde Miley Cyrus in a mesh ensemble, the 2013 Met Gala is certainly one for the archives.

2015: China: Through the Looking Glass

Arguably one of the most iconic Met Galas of all time, the 2015 event focused on China’s influence on Western fashion, making for some truly stunning theatrics.

Designs from the likes of Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Guo Pei, and Christian Dior Haute Couture were at the forefront, featuring stars like Beyoncé and Rhianna.

2018: Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination

Alongside some stunning looks by the likes of Rhianna and Blake Lively, this theme also had hundreds of holy items on display, including dozens of artifacts sent over from The Vatican - many of which had never left Rome before.

2022 - In America: An Anthology of Fashion

This theme was the second part of the Metropolitan Museum's examination of American fashion - the first being 2021’s "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion".

Kim Kardashian being the first person to ever be allowed to wear Marilyn Monroe’s iconic ‘Happy Birthday’ dress was perhaps the most iconic look from this year’s Met Gala.