Kelsey Merritt Wears Vania Romoff at the Gold Gala 2025

For a gathering of Asian Pacific personalities in LA, Kelsey graced the event in a proudly Filipino-made ensemble.

Published on May 14, 2025

Kelsey Merritt's personal style has always been about keeping things clean and simple. That’s not to say, however, that her looks are ever basic. The Fil-Am model gravitates toward pieces that let sharp tailoring and precise proportions take center stage. Case in point: her appearance at the 2025 Gold Gala in Los Angeles, where Kelsey embodied timeless elegance in a custom black gown by Filipina designer Vania Romoff.

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Kelsey Merritt Wears Vania Romoff at the Gold Gala 2025

Crafted from stretch knit with silk faille accents, the gown featured a structured Sabrina neckline that framed Kelsey's shoulders and collarbones with quiet poise. Deep armholes led into a sculpted open back, offering contrast to the architectural front. Below the drop waist, the skirt fell straight to the floor in a column cut, subtly elongating her statuesque frame. A voluminous, draped bow at the waist—a hallmark of Vania Romoff’s designs— added a touch of femininity to the otherwise minimalist piece.

“Kelsey wanted something classic,” Vania told Preview. “We decided to go for black with a Sabrina neckline. The silhouette is sleek, accented by a draped bow on the waist.”

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Kelsey Merritt wears Vania Romoff at the Gold Gala 2025. PHOTOS: instagram/kelseymerritt

Fittings weren’t possible given that Kelsey is now based in the U.S., so Vania’s team opted for fabrics that offered ease of construction without compromising on a reliable, flattering fit.

"We didn’t have any fittings available, so we opted for a stretch crepe fabric, which is very easy to work with, along with silk taffeta for the details,” explained R Pineda, the brand’s technical designer. “Kelsey really looks stunning in black, and we wanted to showcase her beautiful figure.”

Kelsey Merritt's custom Vania Romoff gown for the Gold Gala 2025

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF STUDIO VANIA ROMOFF

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On a more personal level, the collaboration between Vania and Kelsey was also a reunion nearly a decade in the making. “Kelsey and I go way back. We worked together on a campaign in 2015 and she walked for me a few times when she was in college,” the designer shared. “We were super excited to work with her so we sent her a few options as well, ultimately she went for the black ensemble which worked so well for her on the red carpet.”

With minimal styling—sleek hair, pared-back makeup, and no visible jewelry—Kelsey let the frock’s clean-cut construction do the talking. Rendered in a sharp jet-black hue, the gown delivered a fresh take on formalwear: sharp, sculptural, and unmistakably refined.

PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM/KELSEYMERRITT

Pau is Preview’s go-to fashion girl. On most days, you’ll find her with headphones on, coffee in hand, and likely dressed in an oversized blazer and floor-grazing jeans.