Billie Eilish says ‘it was time’ to embrace feminine fashion at Met Gala: ‘I was just scared’

Billie Eilish ditched her darker wardrobe in favor of an homage to Marilyn Monroe for the 2021 Met Gala.

The 19-year-old co-chair told Vogue livestream host Keke Palmer that "it was time" for her to try out the femme fatale look in the form of a blush-colored off-the-shoulder gown featuring a 15-foot train made complete with silver jewelry, her blonde bob styled in some curls and a dark burgundy lip. Although it's a departure from her usual look, Eilish said it's something she's dreamt of doing for far too long.

"I’ve always wanted to do this but I was just scared and I didn’t feel comfortable in my skin and I feel like I finally did," Eilish said. "I feel like I’ve grown so much in the last few years."

One of the designers of the nude tulle dress, Fernando Garcia, told the New York Times that the 19-year-old "was very interested in surprising everybody with a look she hasn’t done before." Yet she also had some requirements. Eilish demanded that Oscar de la Renta institute a policy change and end all sales of fur. While co-creative directors Garcia and Laura Kim haven't used fur in their designs for years, the brand still sold fur items in stores. CEO Alex Bolen, though resistant at initially, changed his tune.

“I’m honored to have been a catalyst and to have been heard on this matter," Eilish said, according to the Times, of the new policy, adding that she found it “shocking that wearing fur isn’t completely outlawed at this point in 2021,”

The singer previously opened up about her evolving sense of style and her relationship with her body in an interview for Vogue UK that took her fans by storm.

"It’s all about what makes you feel good. If you want to get surgery, go get surgery. If you want to wear a dress that somebody thinks that you look too big wearing, f**k it – if you feel like you look good, you look good," she told the magazine. "Showing your body and showing your skin – or not – should not take any respect away from you."

While Eilish's photos from the Vogue UK piece helped her to break an Instagram record of surpassing one million likes in the shortest amount of time, she continued to stir up that same interest with Monday's Oscar de la Renta gown.

She explained that she worked with Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim of Oscar de la Renta on the ensemble and pulled inspiration from Mattel's annual Holiday Barbie. "It was my favorite thing in the world," she said.