A Self-Taught Tailor From Brooklyn Gets His Met Gala Moment

Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

This year’s Costume Institute exhibition and accompanying Met Gala are rightfully being heralded for finally putting the spotlight on Black designers, but “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” also celebrates another cohort of under-appreciated industry talent: tailors.

“I like to think of tailoring as the secret service, because it’s the behind-the-scenes [skill] that no one really talks about, but it keeps everything in order and it makes everything go,” Lionel Nichols, a celebrity tailor with more than 16 years of experience, told Fashionista just a few days before the 2025 Met Gala.

For the second year in a row, Nichols worked with Balmain and Olivier Rousteing to tailor looks for the French fashion house’s celebrity guests. This year, they included Jeremy O. Harris, Rosalia and Priyanka Chopra (pictured above).

Photo: Courtesy of Lionel Nichols

As an entirely self-taught tailor and designer, born and raised in Brooklyn, Nichols emphasizes why participating in this year’s Met Gala has special significance for him.

“Tailors [have been] underrepresented, especially Black tailors. So culturally, it’s significant because it’s a time where there’s a platform highlighting us as a whole… Also, for me, family-wise, my dad grew up in a time where, anytime he went out, he was wearing a suit. So when I look back through family albums, every photo of my dad, he’s in a suit. And that to me is quintessential dandy,” he explains. “This is one of the most significant moments of my career as a Black designer and tailor.”

Photo: Michael Loccisano/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images

It’s the latest in a string of career highlights for Nichols, from working on a couture look for Paris Fashion Week in 2023, to building a piece for Diana Ross in 2024 that, as he found out just after our interview, would be making its red-carpet debut on Monday night (above).

Below, Nichols discusses learning to sew, breaking into the industry, what goes into tailoring a major celebrity red-carpet look, and his own design ambitions for his clothing line, Mario and Lee.

Photo: Masato Onoda/WWD via Getty Images

How did you get started in fashion?

My journey started when I was about 14 years old. I started modeling, and then from modeling, I got into designing because the clothing that I would see from emerging designers when I was walking at fashion shows I loved, but I couldn’t afford. One day I was home and I asked my dad, ‘Can you buy me a sewing machine?’

How did you learn how to design and tailor?

I taught myself how to sew, and it’s just been the application of trial and error and deconstruction. For me, it was like anatomy. I learned the shape of clothes by breaking it down. And then from there, that’s how I got into pattern making and garment construction.

^{Above: Margot Robbie in Balmain, 2023; Danny Ramirez in Amiri, 2024 — both looks tailored by Nichols.}

That must have been challenging, learning the ropes yourself.

I had this mentality when I was younger where, because I didn’t have mentorship and I didn’t have a direct relationship to anybody in fashion, I was like, I’m going to be self-made and I’m not even going to go on YouTube and I’m not even going to watch videos. I’m just going to learn how to do this all on my own. So the learning curve I created for myself was there, where it took me a longer time to learn how to do certain things, but I literally ripped apart all the clothes that I’ve ever purchased. From the time I started designing, I really stopped going shopping and I make everything that I wear.

How did you start working with celebrity clients?

My first break into the industry was through a friend of mine [Ongell Fereria Doyley], she has an agency, Gourmet Aesthetic. One of my college friends was was looking for a tailor for Latto for her 2021 MTV performance. And he gave her my information. And after I did that job, I became [the agency’s] go-to person for New York.

From there, it just became word of mouth with different stylists and also just me working on my personal pieces for my collections and posting them on social media. I’ve had stylists reach out to me via DMs or emails to book me for jobs.

How did you start working with Balmain?

I developed a relationship with the Balmain team through Gourmet Aesthetic, because they’ve contracted the agency for most of their United States placements.

My first job with [Balmain] was Margot Robbie for “Barbie” tour. I did tailoring for a bunch of her looks for that press tour. And then from there we got contracted for last year’s Met Gala, and then we did an amazing job and they reached out again.

^{Above: Aya Nakamura, Elle Fanning & Tyla in Balmain at the 2024 Met Gala, tailored by Nichols.}

You worked on one of last year’s most memorable looks, Tyla’s sand dress. Was it challenging tailoring something so unusual?

There was a learning curve to working with the garment overall, but at the same time, when you’ve seen so many different pieces and you’ve been around, you’ve had as many years of experience as I’ve had, it was just a matter of understanding the garment through the anatomy of it. And once we learned how the garment was made, then we were able to properly tailor it to bring it to fruition. 

Can you walk me through the overall process of collaborating with a designer and a stylist and their celebrity client on a big red-carpet look?

It starts off usually with a consult with the designer and the stylist. The sketches are done and then the sketches are provided to the client; once they see it, that’s their expectation. So the job as a tailor now is to make sure that what they saw in that sketch is what it’s going to look like when they put it on their body.

We have a first round fitting, where we just pin everything. And as we’re pinning, we’re explaining exactly what the process is so they have an understanding of the changes that are going to be made. And then once those changes are made, we finalize everything, have a final fitting, and then it’s time for the red carpet.

Sometimes it’s a fourth-quarter decision with the look the stylist finalizes, where it’s less than 24 hours to work on it. So it’s a 5 p.m. fitting and then work all night.

Was there a piece you worked on recently that was especially challenging?

This past year, I had the pleasure and the honor of creating a piece for Diana Ross. I believe it was two to three weeks we had from the time that the initial reference drawings came to us, and the issue that we had there was the supply chain. Things had to get flown in. Different brands that were in partnership with creating this piece had to send things.

I did the entire construction of the garment, and then we brought people in for the embellishments. We did a robe basically, and it had a detachable 15-foot train, completely hand-embellished. We had four days where nobody really went home. It was just a matter of taking naps and trading off. I’ll go until I can’t go anymore.

Photo: Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images

You’re also a designer. What are your current goals for yourself with Mario and Lee, and how does your tailoring career factor into that?

I utilize the tailoring, honestly, in part, to continuine to nurture and build relationships. It has allowed me into many rooms and on the biggest fashion platform… Every time I create a piece, I share it with these stylists that I work with. So I’m always keeping them abreast on what I’m doing and the pieces that I’m currently working on. That’s how I establish getting placements. My goal is… I want to showcase a collection this fall.

Looking back on your career thus far, do you have a favorite look you’ve worked on or one that you’re the most proud of?

The piece that I worked on that I feel put into perspective where I am and what I’ve achieved in my career, was when I created the finale piece for Parris Goebel for Haute Couture Fashion Week ’23 for Nike. I did a corseted puffer gown for her with these Nike checks.

It was like, I’m a kid from Flatbush, Brooklyn, and I’ve never had a fashion mentor. I didn’t go to school for this… So doing that was like, you are worthy. You deserve to be where you are and you’ve done it, you’ve done the work. Now accept who you are. 

In certain situations, you feel good about it, but you’re like, oh, I’ve gotten turned down because I didn’t go to fashion school. I didn’t get this job with this fashion company because I didn’t go to fashion school. But then to be in the same room with people who studied in ateliers in Paris, and they know how to do well-tailored construction, but they couldn’t sew spandex. So they’re asking you how to do athletic wear. I’m in a position where I can help somebody who studied under the ateliers of Christian Dior and all these others, like I can offer advice? So that was the moment for me that really solidified who I am and all of my accomplishments.

The other one was the first piece that I made for my mom… My biggest inspiration is my family. I could dress every celebrity in the world, but no moment ever, for me, trumps working with my family or making something for a best friend.

They’re like, ‘I’m going to hold this for when you get a museum placement. I’ll give it back to you then.’ It’s just the belief they have in me. 

Photo: Courtesy of Nike

What advice would you give someone who might be inspired to get into tailoring?

One, it’s an art form and it takes practice. It’s something that you have to be confident in because your confidence as a tailor, especially in these rooms that you occupy, you set the tone for everyone else. Because if people are panicking because of the fit, if you are not confident that you can get it right, everyone panics. So when I walk into a room, no matter what the occasion is, I always make sure that I don’t sweat. When I get to my car after the fitting, I’ll go and I’ll take a sigh of relief and I’ll panic there. But in the moment, I’ll make sure that everyone knows that it’s going to get done.

Any final thoughts or hopes for the Met Gala?

I hope that people are not intimidated by the theme and the historical reference behind it. And they’re not afraid to push the boundary, within the realm of respect. Because what I’m afraid may happen is some people will try to play it too safe and go black tux or something like that. We’ve seen it. So do your research and take it there. 

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Source: Fashionista.com