British Jamaican designer Bianca Saunders dresses Usher for Met Gala

British Jamaican designer Bianca Saunders was one of the standout stars at the highly anticipated 2023 staging of the Met Gala, for dressing RnB sensation Usher under the theme ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty’ at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on the first Monday in May.

Saunders, who is based in London and is of Jamaican parentage, has quickly become a designer to watch. Her creations are inspired by her Jamaican heritage (her most recent collection is an ode to local comedian Oliver Samuels), as well as the traditions and practices of men's tailoring.

Arriving in a matte black classic car driven by Usher donning a suit created by Saunders, their transportation was the perfect complement to their looks and a nod to the timeless quality of her designs, which blend traditional tailoring with modern and sleek details.

This being her first time attending ‘fashion’s biggest night’, in an interview with Stylenotcom when asked her thoughts when she first heard about attending the Met Gala, Saunders said, “My jaw dropped, and I haven’t picked it up yet, I’m still in shock.”

Wearing a corseted reverse blazer dress in black satin with a twist detail at the back and paired with detached white cotton sleeves, the look according to an Instagram post was inspired by Lagerfeld’s early work at Patou and his Spring/ Summer 1996 Gallery Collection.

Posting his look on Instagram with Saunders by his side Usher wrote “Honoring one of the best in fashion alongside the next in fashion.”

In a previous interview with The Sunday Gleaner after her Paris Fashion Week showing Saunders let us know she is living her dreams and envisions a long career in the space. When asked about her hopes for the future, she had this to say, “For the brand to keep growing and becoming a worldwide name, and to continue to inspire the younger generation of people.”