Every year, the Met Gala delivers a spectacle of high fashion, but for style icon Teyana Taylor, the drama often starts from the ground up. As of today, December 17, 2025, her recent appearances have cemented her status as a red-carpet risk-taker, with her footwear choices—often hidden by voluminous gowns or dramatic suits—telling a story as compelling as the outfits themselves. This deep dive uncovers the specific designers, themes, and challenges behind Teyana Taylor's most memorable Met Gala shoe moments, highlighting how her choice of heels, boots, or platforms perfectly amplified her artistic vision.
Teyana Taylor’s attendance is always a guaranteed showstopper, blending her unique "Harlem Rose" aesthetic with the formal themes of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual event. From collaborating with legendary costume designers like Ruth E. Carter to choosing avant-garde looks from Thom Browne and Tory Burch, her footwear is the foundational element that brings her complex, theatrical ensembles to life. We explore the specific shoes that have powered her most talked-about looks on fashion's biggest night.
Teyana Taylor: Full Biography Profile
- Full Name: Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Taylor
- Born: December 10, 1990
- Birth Place: Harlem, New York, USA
- Nationality: American
- Primary Professions: Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Model, Dancer, Choreographer, Music Video Director, Creative Director.
- Notable Works: Albums *VII* and *The Album*, lead role in *A Thousand and One*, choreographer for Beyoncé's "Ring the Alarm" music video, and star of Kanye West's "Fade" music video.
- Fashion Highlights: Collaborations with Adidas, hosting the Met Gala red carpet livestream, and numerous high-profile runway appearances.
The 2025 Met Gala: The Marc Jacobs Platforms of the 'Harlem Rose'
Teyana Taylor’s most recent and arguably most powerful Met Gala appearance, in May 2025, was a heartfelt tribute to her New York roots, dubbed the "Harlem Rose" look. The ensemble was a custom masterpiece co-designed by Taylor and the legendary Academy Award-winning costume designer, Ruth E. Carter.
The outfit itself was a deep crimson, multi-layered vision: a strapless gown featuring a corset bodice and voluminous skirts adorned with rose petals at the bust and hips, topped with a matching fedora and a cane.
The Footwear: Marc Jacobs' Statement Platforms
The foundation of this towering, regal look was a pair of dramatic platform shoes from designer Marc Jacobs. While often obscured by the long gown, the height and structure of the footwear were critical to the overall silhouette, providing the necessary lift and stability to carry the extravagant cape and structured dress. The choice of Marc Jacobs, a designer synonymous with bold, high-fashion statements, perfectly complemented the theatrical and deeply personal nature of her "Harlem Rose" theme, ensuring her walk up the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps was both grand and steady.
The ensemble was a perfect blend of dandy-core and romanticism, with the shoes serving as the unseen power source for the entire look.
The 2023 Met Gala: The Thom Browne Suit and the Chick-fil-A Secret
For the 2023 Met Gala, which honored the late Karl Lagerfeld, Teyana Taylor chose a look that was both on-theme and uniquely hers. She stepped onto the red carpet in a sparkly, form-fitting suit-dress by Thom Browne.
The tweed ensemble featured large, structured cut-outs at the hip, creating a chiseled, architectural silhouette that made a powerful statement. The restrictive nature of the suit-dress, particularly the tight skirt, was noted by many, making her choice of footwear a logistical challenge.
The Hidden Challenge of the Thom Browne Look
While the specific shoe designer for the 2023 look is less publicized than the dress, the footwear had to be practical yet elegant to navigate the infamous Met steps in the skintight skirt. The focus shifted from the shoe's aesthetic to its function, allowing her to "hop up" the stairs due to the restricted movement of the gown.
This appearance is perhaps most famous for what she carried *in* her Thom Browne clutch, not on her feet: a hidden order of Chick-fil-A, a move that went viral and perfectly encapsulated her down-to-earth, rebellious spirit amidst the high-brow event.
The 2022 Met Gala: Futuristic Glamour with AQUAZZURA
The 2022 Met Gala, themed "In America: An Anthology of Fashion," saw Teyana Taylor channel a futuristic, almost mythological figure, drawing comparisons to a New Age Ursula. She wore a stunning purple gown by Tory Burch.
The dress was complemented by a striking, futuristic silver headpiece that snaked onto her face, giving the entire look a powerful, avant-garde edge.
The Footwear: AQUAZZURA's Elegant Touch
Completing this opulent ensemble was a pair of elegant shoes by AQUAZZURA. Known for their sophisticated and often jewel-toned footwear, AQUAZZURA provided the perfect balance to the dramatic Tory Burch gown. While the dress and headpiece were the main visual focus, the choice of a high-end, Italian shoe designer ensured the look maintained a seamless flow of luxury from head to toe, anchoring the cosmic, glamorous aesthetic of her Gilded Glamour interpretation.
The Impact of Teyana Taylor’s Footwear Choices on Red Carpet Fashion
Teyana Taylor’s approach to the Met Gala is a masterclass in using every element of an outfit—including the shoes—to tell a story. Her consistent collaborations with powerhouse designers and stylists demonstrate a commitment to topical authority and originality. Whether she’s in towering Marc Jacobs platforms to embody the strength of a "Harlem Rose" or in elegant AQUAZZURA heels to ground a futuristic look, her footwear is never an afterthought.
Each choice adds a layer of depth to the night's theme, pushing the boundaries of what is expected on the red carpet. Her fashion moments, from the Thom Browne suit to the Ruth E. Carter-designed cape, are studied by fashion enthusiasts and designers globally, cementing her legacy as one of the most exciting and unpredictable style icons of her generation. The hidden details, like the specific shoe designer or the personal anecdotes like the Chick-fil-A moment, are what make her Met Gala narratives so compelling and enduring.
Detail Author:
- Name : Verona Crooks
- Username : conroy.eleanora
- Email : danika.zemlak@gmail.com
- Birthdate : 1976-12-26
- Address : 80293 Claudie Trail Ratkebury, CT 83676-7787
- Phone : 1-443-887-9116
- Company : Swaniawski and Sons
- Job : Legal Secretary
- Bio : Distinctio quis odit dicta voluptas et. Cum dolorum alias voluptatem et aut. Deleniti dolor quia libero maxime.
Socials
twitter:
- url : https://twitter.com/rheaturner
- username : rheaturner
- bio : Assumenda quas enim ducimus distinctio labore quo architecto. Qui eos quibusdam officia et odit sed accusamus. Similique ducimus dolores consequatur.
- followers : 2563
- following : 852
facebook:
- url : https://facebook.com/rhea_official
- username : rhea_official
- bio : Neque commodi quis sint quia id asperiores sed voluptatem.
- followers : 5945
- following : 165
linkedin:
- url : https://linkedin.com/in/rhea2514
- username : rhea2514
- bio : Non est et iusto quidem.
- followers : 4941
- following : 2234