EXCLUSIVE: Go Behind the Scenes of Kendall Jenner's Met Gala Fittings with Calvin Klein

As the only lady in jade on Monday’s Met Gala red carpet, Kendall Jenner and her sexy Calvin Klein Collection gown landed among our favorites of the night. After her prolific modeling year — in November she became the face of Estée Lauder and in March she became the face of Calvin Klein — we had no doubt her ensemble would be show-stopping. Francisco Costa, the women’s creative director of the brand shared pics from Jenner’s fittings, and the inspiration for the custom piece (which took just over a month to make), exclusively with PEOPLE.

Calvin Klein by Kevin Tachman

“We only showed Kendall one option — the perfect one,” he shared. “We wanted her to feel sexy, luxurious and confident.” [Editor’s note: We love the fact that she’s got a hair elastic around her wrist in the pic above!]

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To invoke the theme “China: Through the Looking Glass,” Costa started with a standout shade. “I wanted the color of the dress to resemble jade, which to me is very emblematic of China,” he said. Thousands of hand-dyed bugle beads were woven into a mesh fabric base to create a 3D pattern. “Once that was complete, the dress was covered with hand-sewn, smoke-colored crystals.”

Calvin Klein by Kevin Tachman

A plunging cutout on the side of the gown balanced the elegant high neck. “The lace-up detail on the sides makes the dress more delicate, and emphasizes Kendall’s already amazing shape,” Costa said. He added large gray stones to anchor the straps for the finished product. And yes, regular old safety pins helped hold the dress together during tailoring (below).

Calvin Klein by Kevin Tachman

For more exclusive pics of Kendall’s gown and lots more Met Gala coverage, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on stands Friday, and tell us: What do you think of Kendall’s sultry gown?

–Catherine Kast
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