Chase Stokes — and His Abs — Made Their Met Gala Debut: 'Always Trying to Do Things My Way' (Exclusive)

The mindset Chase Stokes embraced going into his first Met Gala: Be himself. 

That’s why, for his debut at fashion’s biggest party of the year, the Outer Banks star, 31, partnered with Motorola and its Flip the Script campaign, which empowers others. 

“I'm always trying to do things my way and not follow the traditional path,” Stokes told PEOPLE exclusively the morning of May 6.

The actor definitely did that when, upon arrival on the carpet, he joined the crew of stars embracing the “naked” look and unbuttoned the blazer of his custom sequin Michael Kors Collection blazer, hence all the ab action. 

While nailing the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" theme, Stokes also complemented with his girlfriend, country star Kelsea Ballerini, who wore couture Michael Kors Collection.

“Michael Kors is obviously known for the brand that it is now, but prior to that, he was the man behind so many iconic looks throughout American fashion history. This is a little bit of a nod to what Michael has done, what he's been behind and his beautiful creations. He's flipped the script," Stokes tells PEOPLE of how working with the iconic designer aligned with Motorola's messaging.

“For me to be able to be a part of something that is on theme, but also a nod to Michael and how much he's done for fashion over the years, is a really, really beautiful thing.” 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Flipping the script was a big theme for Stokes behind the scenes too. 

In between getting his hair styled into “moody rockstar” locks (as described by his hairstylist, Marissa Machado, in a press release), having his skin prepped to glowy perfection with Armani Beauty and slipping into his sparkly suit, Stokes squeezed in some time to play with Motorola’s fourth-generation Razr flip phone.

“I remember having my first Motorola Razr when I was in ninth or eighth grade. It was a cool moment because I felt like it was such an iconic phone and this feels like such an iconic moment,” Stokes says.

Stokes says he hopes he can encourage others to express themselves in the most authentic way.

“Fashion is supposed to be fun and an expression of yourself. I think this is a really fun example of getting a little bit out of the comfort zone and doing something that is on theme for such a beautiful event and a beautiful charity [the Met Gala is held annually to raise funds for the museum's Costume Institute]. I'm just really excited to get out there, continue to push the narrative," Stokes says.

And don’t forget, he adds, to “love yourself a little more today than you did yesterday.”