Tyla’s real sand dress could only be worn once.

Singer Tyla attended her maiden Met Gala on Monday in New York. This year’s Grammy Award winner for Best African Music Performance wore a custom gown by Balmain, which took inspiration from the “Sands of Time,” a nod to the “time” element of this year’s Met Gala theme.

Tyla’s look, curated by stylist Katie Qian, went viral on social media. The piece was designed by Balmain’s creative director Olivier Rousteing, who also attended Monday’s event. To make the strapless dress, Tyla’s frame was molded into the gown. Due to its intricacy, the piece could only be worn once.

In a video Rousteing later shared to his personal Instagram account, the French designer is seen using a pair of scissors to cut Tyla out of the dress. Once Rousteing had finished cutting the voluminous skirt with a mermaid train off, the piece turned into a minidress. “And what you didn’t see … inside the MET,” the Balmain creative director captioned the above video.

Tyla’s Balmain look was so intricate and delicate the singer had to be carried up the iconic Met Gala stairs. The singer also carried an hourglass of sand as her clutch, courtesy of the luxury fashion house. She also wore a gold collar necklace by Alexis Bittar.

Since rising to prominence in the music and fashion industry, Tyla has worked with brands like Alo Yoga on their Beats by Dr. Dre collaboration and starred in the Gap’s spring 2024 campaign.

The Met Gala raises funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and celebrates the Costume Institute’s annual exhibits. This year’s theme, “The Garden of Time,” was a nod to the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” exhibit, which will open to the public on Friday. The 2024 event was cochaired by Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth and Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour.