Charles James’ Clover Leaf gown graced the cover of the Met Ball invitation, and edible versions of the frock topped the gala’s dessert course.
The 1953 dress was designed by James for Austine Hearst to wear to President Eisenhower’s inauguration.
Austine’s son Austin Hearst attended the ball with his wife, designer Gabriela Perezutti Hearst, who was glamorously decked out in one of Austine’s Madame Grès numbers.
The Clover dress is just one of Austine’s in the Met’s James exhibition.
We hear the museum also wanted her James-designed wedding gown, but it couldn’t be tracked down.
For his part, Austin dashingly adhered to Wintour’s white-tie dress code, ignored by Tom Brady, David Beckham and Andrew Garfield.