Summary

• Eli Russell Linnetz and stylist Corey Stokes crafted three custom garments for the musician’s red carpet and after-party appearances
• The pieces pay direct homage to the monumental aesthetic of legendary American artist Barkley L. Hendricks
• Each silhouette was meticulously constructed at the ERL Venice Beach atelier utilizing deadstock fabrics and artisanal tailoring

Jon Batiste graced the 2026 Met Gala with a trio of custom ERL Artisanal looks that bridge the gap between avant-garde tailoring and profound cultural heritage. Designed by Eli Russell Linnetz in collaboration with stylist Corey Stokes and the Barkley L. Hendricks Estate, the bespoke wardrobe reimagined the boundaries of the modern male silhouette while honoring one of the most significant voices in 20th-century American art.

The cornerstone of Batiste’s Met Gala appearance was his red carpet ensemble, a direct nod to Hendricks’ seminal 1976 painting, Steve. Constructed entirely from deadstock pearlescent and glitter silk taffeta sourced from the 1970s, the regal outfit utilized an intentional all-white palette — a technique Hendricks favored to highlight the contrast and presence of his subjects’ skin tones. Linnetz stripped the design back to pure form, leaning heavily into sculptural draping, asymmetry, and exaggerated volume. The look was anchored by a voluminous, floor-length puffer coat with an extended train, referencing the dramatic capes found in Hendricks’ portraiture. Beneath the outerwear, Batiste wore fluid pleated trousers, a custom ruffle dress shirt, and a matching cummerbund and bow tie, all cut from the same deadstock taffeta at ERL’s Venice Beach atelier.

Accessories introduced a sharp, modern contrast against the classical tailoring. ERL pearl sunglasses and artisanal enamel 1970s flower brooches from Linnetz’s personal archive were paired with a vintage 1951 Cartier collection brooch, featuring a combination of baguette and round old-cut diamonds set in platinum and white gold. For the post-Met events, Batiste transitioned into a sleek, cropped pearlescent ERL bubble coat, mirroring the ethereal proportions Hendricks translated from his own street photography.

The collaboration extends beyond the garments, aligning with the conceptual framework of Batiste’s forthcoming solo piano album, Black Mozart, which arrives on Juneteenth via Decca Records U.S. Batiste views the solo piano format as a musical extension of portraiture, mirroring Hendricks’ ability to highlight the “everyday, casual majesty of Black people.” This ethos was perfectly captured in Batiste’s pre-Met outfit, inspired by Hendricks’ 1969 piece Icon for My Man Superman (Superman never saved any black people – Bobby Seale). Decades before streetwear formalized as a category, Hendricks elevated ordinary garments to formalwear. ERL honored this by pairing a handcrafted deadstock cotton T-shirt — complete with a handmade Superman logo — with the brand’s signature made-in-California denim, hand-washed in Venice Beach to replicate the deeply felt style of the original painting.

“Barkley Hendricks uses the medium of visual arts to highlight the everyday, casual majesty of black people. It’s aligned with what I’m doing in the medium of classical music with Black Mozart. Solo piano is a musical form of portraiture. It also very aligned with Eli’s approach to reimagining the male silhouette. Grateful to ERL, Corey Stokes and Barkley Hendricks estate for helping to tell this story via three different mediums of art: Fashion, visual arts and music,” the musician shared in a statement.