Yara Shahidi is no stranger to the Met Gala and always understands the assignment to bring us a look perfectly on theme. She made headlines for her bold camp look at the 2019 Met Gala and made sure her return to the red carpet was just as show-stopping. For this year’s “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” theme, she took the opportunity to give tribute to a legendary Black woman in American history who definitely made an impression on the way American fashion is viewed today. 

The “Grown-ish” star stepped onto the red carpet in a vintage, 1920’s look that simply exudes the ultimate amount of elegance. Yara is wearing a custom Dior sleeveless gown with matching gloves. The dress was paired with a dramatic floor-length veil that created a long, elegant train. 

Before hitting the red carpet, Shahidi was first spotted departing The Mark Hotel in New York City and already had fans tweeting about her look, some even donning it as the best outfit of the night. 

In an exclusive on carpet interview with Keke Palmer, Shahidi explained that her look is inspired by one of the most influential Black female entertainers in American history — the one and only, Josephine Baker. Baker — who was also dubbed as the “Black Venus” and “Creole Goddess” is known for her iconic looks and beauty that symbolized Black American culture during the 1920s and made her an international star. One of her signature looks was dramatic finger waves with a swooped bang, which we see Yara put her own personal twist on by adding soft, fluffy curls and a diamond headband. 

If Yara is already giving us life on the red carpet, her after-party looks are for sure going to sweep us off our feet. 

Photo Credit: Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images