The American Horror Story creator worked with designer Christian Siriano to create the look
No one would have appreciated the theme of this year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala better than Liberace.
In honor of the icon and this year’s theme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” Ryan Murphy worked with designer Christian Siriano to create a stunning look for Monday’s star-studded affair: a bejeweled orange tux and matching bowtie, complete with a spectacular cape that took two months to make.
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Speaking to PEOPLE on the red carpet, Murphy, 53, revealed the pearl-encrusted cape weighs over 100 lbs.
“I had to lay flat in the car to get here,” he said, adding that while he himself “didn’t take long” to get ready, he required extra assistance putting on the outfit.
“It took five people to put on the hood, which has a harness in it because it weighs over 100 lbs., so it’s a lot,” he said. “But it’s based on a real costume that Liberace wore called the Neptune.”
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As for what the theme means to him?
“It means fun, you know?” said the American Horror Story creator. “It means joy and a tenderness and a sense of humor. It’s a great word. It’s irony. I love the theme.”