Damson Idris knows how to make an entrance. The British actor pulled up to the 2025 Met Gala in an APGXP race car straight from the set of his upcoming film F1. He then stepped out onto the carpet wearing a fully custom Tommy Hilfiger racing suit, topped off with a dazzling red, white, and blue helmet encrusted with more than 20,000 Swarovski crystals.
But the reveal didn’t stop there. A master of red carpet moments, Idris shed the racing ensemble to unveil a fully bespoke red suit by Tommy Hilfiger. The look, perfectly aligned with the evening’s “Tailored For You” dress code, was elevated with pieces from his debut jewelry collection, DIDRIS. He wasn’t alone in representing the brand; fellow Hilfiger guests included Sofia Richie Grainge and the designer’s wife, Dee Hilfiger.
“The piece was craftsmanship an extraordinary feat of craftsmanship—every crystal meticulously set to catch the light and amplify the moment,” Hilfiger tells ELLE of the helmet. “It was bold, unexpected, and a perfect example of what we call the Tommy twist. The arrival fused fashion with racing heritage and high-impact glamour, delivering a showstopping moment to the red carpet that set the tone for the night ahead.”
Swarovski creative director Giovanna Engelbert added, “The Met Gala is where fashion meets fantasy, and we knew the helmet had to feel both iconic and unexpected. It became the ultimate luxury accessory—sculptural, cinematic, and rooted in pop culture.”
Idris became a brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger’s menswear line in 2023—the same year he was cast alongside Brad Pitt in Apple TV+’s highly anticipated racing film, directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski. According to Entertainment Weekly, Idris secured the role by literally getting behind the wheel during his audition. “The feeling I felt before was absolute fear,” he told the outlet. “But at the end of it, driving up to 180 miles per hour, going from track to track around the world, is an opportunity that I never could have dreamed of.”
Kosinski put Idris to the test behind the wheel at a racetrack just north of London. “It was insane,” Idris recalled. “The universe decided to rain that day. I went to Bedford Autodrome, and I jumped in an F-3000, and they attached cameras to the car. It was really a test of maturity, humility, and patience.”
