‘Golden’ No More: For Her 2026 Met Gala Debut, K-Pop Demon Hunter’s Ejae Is in Her Silver Era
Everything was golden at the 2026 Met Gala, the perfect debut for singer and actress Ejae. For the evening, however, the woman behind the Academy Award–winning song “Golden” from the hit animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters opted for a metallic shade other than gold: a glittering silver column gown made by Swarovski’s creative director, Giovanna Engelbert, that left her luminous and glowing on the red carpet.
Through K-Pop Demon Hunters’ meteoric year, the creative team has continued to smash records. In 2025, the movie became Netflix’s most-watched film, and the song “Golden” reached a No. 8 slot on the Billboard 200, making it the highest-ranking soundtrack to reach the charts since 2022. Tonight, Ejae wanted to continue to break charts and make headlines in other ways, using this opportunity in the spotlight to highlight her Korean culture even more. “I wanted to represent elements of Korean culture on fashion’s biggest night,” said Ejae in an exclusive interview. “When Swarovski first came to my creative team and me, they brought the idea of the sculpture of Venus, and that felt right for the theme. Jeffrey and Theo, my creative directors, wanted to bring something Korean into it, not as a visual reference but as something deeper.”
That reference ended up being the “기녀” which in English translates to the female courtesans of the Joseon dynasty. “These women were artists, the most culturally refined figures of their time, in music, poetry, and conversation. So the conversation with Swarovski became, what happens when the Venus meets the 기녀?” Ejae said. “Two archetypes of femininity, one Western, one Eastern, and the look quickly came together from there.”
Sparkles were a must for Ejae, and, lucky for her, being dressed by the Swarovski team meant crystals were available in unlimited qualities. The evening’s look used thousands of crystals so that the star could “keep shining like she was born to be,” as she sings in “Golden.”
Ejae continued to further showcase her bicultural heritage through her makeup and hair choice, opting for an updo held together with Korean hairpins called “binyeos.” These traditional hairpins have been worn by Korean women for centuries, and tonight, at the 2026 Met Gala, they only continue to have relevance in Korean culture thanks to Ejae.
Obsessed with the nailsssss! Zola incorporated the same crystals used in my dress on my nails and I feel like little touches like that really tie together the look.
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Swarovski created these binyeo, referencing traditional Korean hairpins that women from the Joseon Dynasty would wear. I’m in love with how they came out!
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Essential part of my glam routine—some hot water with lemon and a plate of fresh fruit!
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Obsessed with all the sparkles Swarovski made for me!
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Part two!
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Before the big braid, comes the little braid! So thankful to my hairdresser Semin Park for making my hair look beautiful, I felt so dignified with my braid :)
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Getting started on the night’s makeup look! Min Kim absolutely killed it, she perfectly executed the smokey eye!
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Skin prep followed by quality makeup are some of the most effective ways to get a great Red Carpet look. This Dior blush is a must have for a big event – especially for my first Met Gala!
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Getting dressed for the big night! Here’s Giovanna helping put together the dress. The whole dress started out as four pieces that got sewn together once they were on me.
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Getting dressed for the big night! Here’s Giovanna helping put together the dress. The whole dress started out as four pieces that got sewn together once they were on me.
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Putting on the earrings! My head was so heavy with the braids and all the crystals LOL
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Close-up of the custom dress Swarovski made for me. I think Giovanna said there was over 50,000 crystals on the dress? INSANE. Round of applause to everyone who helped make this masterpiece.
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On the way to the Met in the van with Giovanna! It was such an honor to be her guest and muse for the night. I’ll never forget my first Met and the dress she designed for me!
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