From influencing the Met Gala’s theme in 2016 to receiving small nods throughout the years, technology continues to take a monumental role in fashion’s busiest Monday of the year. And with AI engraining itself into every industry, it’s no surprise that designers have tapped into its capabilities to elevate their Met Gala experiences.
In preparation for this year’s Met Gala, LaQuan Smith has introduced the latest phase of his partnership with Samsung, his AI Atelier. As he celebrates all things Met Gala, Smith said he is excited to be partnering with Samsung again, acknowledging that for him, fashion is always in a new wave of expanding with technology.
Using the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the AI Atelier is a tech-powered creative studio designed to bring Smith’s Met Gala visions to life, from sketching and finding design inspiration to more practical uses of AI like scheduling, messaging with muses/vendors/collaborators and searches.
With the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, LaQuan Smith’s AI Atelier is a tech-powered creative studio.
In practice, the AI Atelier concept has made Met Gala prep more connected, seamless and efficient.
“I love being able to infuse [it] in my daily life and in my design aesthetics,” said Smith. “Working with this incredible Samsung AI feature has just pretty much made my daily life an ease. For me with my fittings, then going to the gym, trying to get physically fit and everything from scheduling meetings and connecting with my atelier and my team, and fabrics and beadwork overseas — all of those components and communication factors have been made easy for me to really micromanage.”
The tools in his AI Atelier also lend to creativity. Smith called out the S Pen specifically for sketches.
“It gets me in a very creative space,” said Smith. “The way that it generates a lot of my sketches and the drawing assistant has been very helpful. Even when it comes down to my photos, the way that I’ve been able to edit photos in postproduction by removing or adding things is great. I’m fascinated by those features and it’s really helpful when I have fittings that I might want to post for social. It’s the little things.”
Notably, the event marks a significant moment for Smith’s Lucid Dream sleepwear collection as pieces take their place as a part of the exhibition at the Met Gala Costume Institute. As reported by WWD, the looks were inspired by the innovative design and sleep insights of Samsung’s Galaxy Ring.
Smith told WWD that he is “so excited to be exhibited in the Met,” adding that it is “such a huge moment in time that we’ll always look back on as such a huge historical landscape of culture that we are celebrating.” Moreover, he said it is something that he is honored to be a part of. “A lot of what I do is deeply rooted in what my family taught me and things that I was surrounded by, so this particular Met feels very personal to me.”
For his arrival at the steps of the Met, Smith shared that he is most excited about the muses that he brought. Ahead of the day, Smith said, that the muses he selected felt “so ‘LaQuan Smith coded’.”
“These women have been muses of mine since Day One, so they really do reflect this idea, this ideology, of unapologetic glamor on and off the red carpet,” said Smith. “I’m just truly honored to be dressing the people that I’m dressing.”
LaQuan Smith at Ludlow House Met Gala 2025 after party.
A&L
Following the Met Gala, LaQuan continued his celebration with Samsung at an exclusive Met Gala House Party, which invited guests to explore the world of Galaxy AI on their own. Interactive experiences included live content creation stations for a hands-on look at how Galaxy AI is reshaping style, self-expression and creative technology.
“Our tech keeps evolving, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra supercharged with Galaxy AI — giving creators the power to dream bigger, push boundaries and turn bold visions into reality,” said Olga Suvorova, vice president of mobile experience marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “Watching LaQuan Smith’s Lucid Dream vision come alive, amplified by the Galaxy Ring, was pure magic. We’re thrilled to keep building with LaQuan because together we’re all about fearless self-expression and creativity with no limits.”
In an official statement, Samsung said its participation and activations around the 2025 Met Gala speak to its long-standing commitment to fashion, with the understanding that technology and fashion go hand in hand. Samsung aims to continue to partner with like-minded designers and media organizations to inspire people to pursue creative passions.
