When John Singer Sargent’s scandalous work, Portrait of Madame X, was unveiled in Paris in 1884–featuring the bejeweled strap of socialite Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau’s black satin gown falling off her shoulder–reactions were so extreme that the painter was forced to rework the portrait, positioning both straps firmly back onto her lavender-powdered frame. He even had to relocate to the UK for a year, so French society could cool off. The Met museum acquired the painting a century ago, and it just so happens to be one of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s favorite works of art. “I’ve always found it incredibly striking,” Rosie explains on a call the weekend before the Met Gala 2026.

Working with Burberry’s chief creative officer Daniel Lee, Huntington-Whiteley was keen to capture the “sense of quiet confidence and sensuality” in the painting. After a “focused” and collaborative design process–with an intention to “refine, edit, and strip things back,” they landed on a burnt umber gown, with a crystal and beaded heart-shaped bodice and a draped silk tulle skirt. “There’s a modernity and a strength, but also a softness,” she explains of the look. “I wanted to feel confident and composed—an elevated version of myself.”

It’s difficult to imagine the supermodel, business mogul, and mother of two ever needing elevation, but before red carpet events, she also swears by a “really good facial or a lymphatic massage.” In New York, Cynthia Rivas is her “go-to skin expert.” Huntington-Whiteley has been back and forth to Manhattan in recent weeks—also attending the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Gala at the Park Avenue Armory—so naturally, I’m intrigued about her long-haul beauty hacks. “I like to hydrate constantly—no food, no alcohol,” she says. “I apply my skincare routine before getting to the airport to avoid touching my skin on the plane, and then when I land, I shower, stretch, and reset by getting outside in the daylight.”

If she has some spare time when visiting the Big Apple, Huntington-Whiteley loves to “take a walk in Tribeca or the West Village with a coffee in hand,” or sample a martini at The Grill. But when it comes to her red carpet pre-game, she likes to keep things tranquil and pared back. “People’s energies really help me, so I’m considerate about who is in the room” she says. “No rush, no drama.” The same mantra can be applied to her Met Gala beauty look, dreamt up by longtime make-up artist Francesca Abrahamovitch, which she describes as having a “focus on fresh, soft and sculpted skin, with pulled-back hair.” “Nothing distracting—it’s all about the dress,” she adds.

As for where the night will take her, is Huntington-Whiteley a hotel-by-midnight girl, or a queen of the after-party? “I usually say I’ll go home early, but one thing leads to another,” she smiles. “New York has a way of getting you out!”

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