The Met Gala may be fashion’s most hallowed red carpet, but the true test of a shoe’s mettle often begins after the museum doors close. Hailey Bieber proved this point on Monday night, swapping her custom Saint Laurent gown and gilded 24-karat gold bodice for a whisper-thin Dilara Findikoglu mini and a pair of reimagined Paris Texas Lidia mules—a silhouette that has quietly become a celebrity staple this season.
Paris Texas, a label that emerged in 2015 from the Milan-based duo of Annamaria Brivio and Paolo Cattaneo, has always drawn on the tension between sculptural structure and sensual ease. Their Lidia mule, now classified as an icon within the house, typically features a clean, broad vamp that wraps the foot in a single, confident gesture. But Bieber’s custom iteration—styled by Andrew Mukamal—took a more daring turn. The front vamp was replaced by slim, crossing straps, transforming the shoe into a barely-there sandal while retaining the high white stiletto heel and open back that define the Lidia lineage.
This evolution is not without precedent. The mule, a style that traces its roots to ancient Mesopotamia and later flourished in 18th-century French boudoirs, has always been a symbol of the intimate made public. By paring down the Lidia’s coverage, Bieber nods to that history—a shoe that reveals as much as it supports, echoing the lingerie-inspired transparency that Dilara Findikoglu’s spring 2026 collection also explored.
The Lidia’s recent celebrity run has been swift: Heidi Klum wore a mirrored gold pair to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Olivia Munn stepped out in black patent on “Good Morning America,” and Keke Palmer chose the white version for late-night television. Yet Bieber’s after-party edit suggests that the mule’s future may lie in its most minimal form—a reminder that sometimes, the most memorable fashion happens after the final flashbulb fades.
Originally reported by WWD