Met Gala 2021: Gabrielle Union pays homage to late Cicely Tyson in style

Returning a year after the COVID-19-imposed break, the Met Gala red carpet was once again buzzing with glitz and glamour. There were numerous unique and over-the-top outfits on display and one of the notable dresses was donned by Gabrielle Union. Sticking to the 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion' theme, the actor gave a tribute to late American icon Cicely Tyson. 

The Brothers star brought back memories of Tyson's dress that she had worn at the 1974 Emmys. She shared that it was one of her favourite red carpet looks of all time, and asked her designer to come up with a similar outfit.  

Gabrielle Union's tribute to Cicely Tyson at Met Gala 2021

Gabrielle dazzled on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as she donned the floral print minidress in style. She paired the look with hair tied in a bun and a matching pair of emerald earrings and platform heels.

Gabrielle wrote that she asked one of her favourite designers, Samantha Black, to recreate the dress as a homage to Tyson. The actor shared her delight in the designer taking up the challenge and how she 'ran with it'. Gabrielle extended a token of her gratitude to Black, urging netizens to follow her and shower 'some love'. She also used the hashtag 'Black Designer', along with 'Met Monday'.

For the unversed, Cicely Tyson had won recognition for her portrayal of African-American women in her seven-decade career. She had worn the outfit ahead of an iconic event at Emmys, where she bagged two awards for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. The actor also won an honorary Oscar, along with a host of other awards.

Tyson passed away earlier this year on January 28. At that time, Gabrielle had paid a tribute to her on Twitter and then written, "We have lost a visionary, a leader, a lover, an author, an ICON, and one of the most talented actresses the world has ever seen. A life, a career, a fire to celebrated forevermore! #RIPCicelyTyson".

Earlier in the day, Gabrielle had kicked off 'Met Monday' by paying homage to American fashion with the archive Isaac Mizrahi look from spring 1991,