Cole Sprouse at MET Gala 2022

Outfit: custom Atelier Versace by Donatella Versace
Groomer: Rachel Burney using Oribe, Laneige and Natura Bisse
Aesthetician: Crystal Greene
Jewelry: Versace

On this chilly Monday, I played a game of associations and as it often happens, I tried to translate it visually into something tangible, hence why I traced back some events and I ended up looking into an outfit that I put away for some time.

It was Cole Sprouse‘s “somewhat bondage” ensemble for last year’s MET Gala.

For the gala, the “Riverdale” heartthrob donned a silver custom Atelier Versace three-piece suit consisting of a peak lapel blazer adorned with rhinestones on the sides, a metal mesh tank top underneath with signature Medusa motifs applied throughout the outfit.

The “somewhat bondage” touch were the belts that were sewn onto the top and which bound the front flap pockets together.

Eventually, these same designs proved to be a starting point for the Pre-Fall 2023 collection staged in Cannes.

To complete the look he wore matching pants with embellishments on the sides, silver square-toe Chelsea boots and plenty of Versace jewels: a La Medusa ring on his left index finger, a silver Greek motif band ring on his right index finger, left ring finger and left thumb, a silver Medusa Chain ring on his right index and ring fingers and his left middle finger and what seemed to be two silver Versace chained Medusa rings on his right ring finger and one on his left ring finger.

Keep in mind that this is a tentative identification because most of the pictures available were blurry or out of focus and the pieces were all probably custom painted for Cole.

When it came to the actor’s grooming, he trusted the hands of aesthetician Crystal Greene and the savoir-faire of Rachel Burney.

Burney styled Sprouse‘s hair in a sleek do with side part, using solely the Oribe Rock Hard Gel and the Freestyler Hairspray. For the skin, she used products by Laneige and Natura Bisse–the result was flawless, luminous skin that went very well with the clean vibe of the look.

Sometimes Cole works directly with designers, especially when he is bound to attend high pressure events such as the MET Gala.

He did it already when he wore Ferragamo in 2019, and seen that this time I wasn’t able to find any information related to a possible stylist attached to the project again, I suppose he did the same.

Sprouse is an artist in his own right so it doesn’t come as a surprise that he would contribute to a creative vision of any sorts, moreover in February of that same year, he starred in his debut Versace Men’s eyewear campaign; one just needed to put two and two together.