On May 11, Gold House held its third annual Gold Gala at The Music Center in Los Angeles, California. Amplifying Asian culture and heritage, the night recognized 100 of the most impactful Asian Pacific leaders in culture and society — as listed in the A100 List.
From actors to advocates, APAC changemakers from various industries attended the gala, donning their best fashion and beauty. For decades, Asian beauty has been underrepresented and depicted through a distorted lens. With Asian beauty experiencing a rise in popularity all over the globe, looks at events and red carpets are yet another way to champion Asian representation.
As proven by the Gold Gala red carpet, APAC trailblazers are now changing the narrative, showcasing their own community’s authentic beauty in front and behind cameras. From bindis to intricate buns, A-listers at the event wore their heritage on their sleeves. Below, EnVi recognizes some of the best beauty looks spotted at the 2024 Gold Gala.
Agnez Mo
The queen of Indonesian R&B and hip hop, Agnez Mo, embraced Asian tradition for the Gold Gala. The artist sported a braided bun adorned with ornate golden pins resembling a type of multiple-pronged Chinese hairpin (chai). For the occasion, a few hairpins decorated Agnez’s hair with floral shapes. Meanwhile, the glam accentuated the star’s eyes, brows, and lips. Further highlighting her style choices, Agnez sported a hand fan printed with traditional motifs.
Alex Shibutani & Maia Shibutani
Japanese American Olympic medalist Alex Shibutani flaunted blonde hair to attend the 2024 Gold Gala. Following runway trends spotted across Fashion Weeks, his platinum blonde hair was slicked back in a neat and modern manner. Paired with minimal makeup and a white tuxedo, the bright hair color added a springtime boost to Alex’s final look.
Similar to her brother, Olympic ice dancer Maia Shibutani walked the gold carpet styled in a sleek blunt bob. Floating above the shoulders, Maia’s hair was slicked behind her ears with gel for extra grip. Matching the clean aesthetic that has taken over beauty spaces in recent years, Maia’s makeup was minimal. Subtle lavender eyeshadow and aubergine winged liner took center stage in her eyes while glassy lips and a light layer of foundation let her natural beauty shine through. If we’ve learned anything from recent runway appearances, there’s nothing like embracing and accentuating natural beauty marks. And that’s exactly what Maia’s glam team did. Freckles on the red carpet? A win in our book!
Alicia Hannah-Kim
Dressed in a brocade gown by Luly Yang, Korean-Australian actress Alicia Hannah-Kim embodied bold femininity on the red carpet. Celebrity makeup artist Yuma Bastet executed Alicia’s makeup and hair for the night. The Cobra Kai star’s hair was pulled back into an elegant high bun reminiscent of traditional Korean hairstyles.
As for the makeup, subtle coverage served as the canvas for diffused black and nude eyeshadow. Barely-there blush and nude mauve lipstick added balance to the face. Completed with statement gold earrings, the look included everything a winning red carpet appearance requires.
Alok Vaid-Menon
Clad in bold colors, writer and performer Alok Vaid-Menon walked down the red carpet dressed in a lehenga by Indian designer Harleen Kaur and an avant-garde ruffle coat. Resembling the textured statement piece, Alok’s hair featured 1920s-inspired finger waves. Bold pink blush and a hint of lilac eyeshadow tied the glam and outfit together. As a final touch of glam, toffee lip liner and juicy gloss rounded off the activist’s makeup.
Avantika
Mean Girls star Avantika Vandanapu — famously known as Avantika — embodied springtime glamor with a Geyanna Youness gown. Makeup artist Robert Bryan crafted her beauty for the night, mixing blooming pinks and icy cyan eyeshadows. Rose-colored shadow was buffed into the crease and frosty blue pigment encased her eyes with brightness. Taking influence from Bollywood makeup, Avantika’s look also featured smokey winged liner and burnt rose blush. To finish off the beauty repertoire, matte rosy lipstick and cocoa lip liner sealed in Avantika’s glam.
BM
Pivoting from his signature hip-hop aesthetic, singer Matthew Kim — also known as BM — opted for a clean and fresh appearance for his Gold Gala debut. Minimal makeup and grooming achieved an effortless but polished look. The Los Angeles native sported his hair parted down the middle and pushed back, channeling Y2K-era heartthrobs. Then, taking a page from recent runway trends, the singer enhanced his outfit with transparent wire rim frames and silver hoops. Needless to say, BM was in his Element.
Cynthia Erivo
Grammy award-winning artist and Gold Ally Award recipient, Cynthia Erivo, championed facial jewelry at the 2024 Gold Gala. The actress brought a rebellious flair to the red carpet with a neon green septum ring that hinted at her character in the upcoming film Wicked. Leaving an Easter egg for film enthusiasts, the bold piece of jewelry elevated the glam, which consisted of smoky eyes and a glossed lip.
Dallas Liu
Nailing heartthrob style, Chinese-Indonesian actor Dallas Liu went for curtain bangs with a side part for his red carpet strut. L.A.-based makeup and hair artist, Tammy Yi, took the helm of his beauty look, creating effortlessly chic matte makeup. Jewelry from the Van Cleef & Arpels’ Vintage Alhambra collection adorned Liu’s neck for an extra touch of gold.
Eugene Lee Yang
Flaunting his boundary-pushing style, Korean-American filmmaker and internet personality Eugene Lee Yang floated onto the gold carpet dressed in a dramatic look. Makeup artist Arianna Chaylene Blean and Vietnamese-American hairstylist David Dang teamed up for the glam. The duo crafted Eugene’s beauty to harmonize with the shapes and colors in his outfit. Using teal, coral and black pigment, Blean illustrated butterfly-inspired shapes around the eye area. Meanwhile, Dang curled and pinned Yang’s hair into a striking asymmetrical updo.
Geena Rocero
Embracing the graphic liner trend, Geena Rocero sported fierce winged red liner on the red carpet. The Filipino-born American model and transgender advocate paired the dramatic eye look, created with crisp lines in the inner and outer of the eyes, with a rich cherry cola lip and a spiky hairdo courtesy of celebrity hairstylist Daniel Ramirez.
Jeannie Mai
Vietnamese-American TV personality Jeannie Mai chose a cut crease eye look and vampy lip to attend the Gold Gala. Los Angeles-based makeup artist MOTOKO was in charge of Jeannie’s glam for her third attendance at the event. A gradation of rose-toned browns and deeper maroons enlarged the star’s eyes, creating a cut crease makeup while dramatic, while oxblood lipstick coated her lips. Balancing the maximalist makeup, hair stylist Jayson Medina tied Jennie’s hair in a low bun with subtle retro curls.
Kim Woo-sung
Singer Kim Woo-sung — member of Korean band The Rose — embraced slicked-back hair for the evening. The preference for this sleek and modern hairstyle was prevalent among men and the star did it justice. Hair and makeup artist Yukina was responsible for Woo-sung’s look. The celebrity MUA featured AAPI-owned brands Snow Fox Skincare and Orcé Cosmetics on his makeup. Matte products created a natural base, translucent rosy brown eyeshadow deepened the eye area and matte pink lipstick brightened Woo-sung’s smile.
Manny Jacinto
Departing from the curtain bang hairstyle predominant on the red carpet, Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto hit The Music Center in wavy leaf bangs. (In case you’re wondering what’s the difference between both hairstyles, leaf bangs are notably shorter than the ‘90s-fashioned curtain style.) Loose waves added volume to Manny’s hair with subtle leaf bangs framing his face while natural makeup, as seen on the runways of Men’s Fashion Week, created the ultimate modern-gentleman look.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
Indian-Canadian actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan delivered rose-toned femininity for this year’s Gold Gala. Delicate and flirty, her makeup consisted of soft pink smoky eyes and matching blush placed high on the cheeks for a natural lift. Maitreyi’s glam also featured lips tinted and glossed with a burn rose shade. As a nod to her roots, the Never Had I Ever star completed her makeup with an elegant black bindi — a traditional South Asian adornment worn on the center of the forehead.
Minnie Mills
Actress Minnie Mills paired a daring translucent dress with soft makeup and a pixie haircut. The Korean-British-American star put a twist on the Igari makeup trend with pastel pink eyeshadow framing her eyes and strawberry blush extending from cheek to cheek and grazing the bridge of the nose. Committing to the delicate glam, Minnie’s lips were painted with a satin M.L.B.B. (My Lips But Better) lipstick that barely differed from her natural lip color.
R’Bonney Nola Gabriel
Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Nola Gabriel walked the red carpet flaunting the most glamorous beauty. Smoky eyeshadow, fluffy lashes and heavy winged liner accentuated her eyes with a dose of drama. The Filipino-American fashion designer brough further attention to her face with defined contouring and a dark pink pout.
Saweetie
Grammy-nominated star Saweetie emulated pop divas from the 1970s with her glam for the evening. The Filipino-American singer sported ultra-long sleek hair cascading past her hips. The chic hairstyle provided the coolest over-the-shoulder photo opportunities, but her makeup didn’t pale in comparison. Taking inspiration from the 1970s beauty book, Saweetie opted for soft glam eyes, bushy brows and lined matte lips.
Want more stand out beauty moments? Check out 24 Beauty Moments from the 2024 Met Gala We Can’t Stop Gushing About here!
