Boricua Designer Neysha De León Shares the Story Behind Bad Bunny’s Showstopping Pava at the Met Gala

Bad Bunny stepped onto the Met Gala carpet with a crown not made of gold but of something older, more local. A reimagined pava — the traditional hat of Puerto Rican farmworkers — rose from his head like a quiet act of rebellion. It came from the hands of Neysha De León, a milliner in San Juan who carries her culture deep within her designs.

At 35, De León runs her brand alone. She has no headquarters in Paris or Milan, no entourage. She works with wool, palm and wire. Her designs speak of land, sun and labor. When she received mohair wool from Prada and an invitation to collaborate, she chose not to distort the form of the pava. She lifted it. Shaped it. Stitched it leaf by leaf. No shortcuts.

From the Island to the Met carpet

The hat stood tall in New York, not as a costume but as a declaration. Bad Bunny wore it with a custom Prada suit, patterned gloves and a thick natural-fiber belt. There was no introduction needed. For those who knew, the reference was immediate.

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De León did not find the moment glamorous. She found it heavy. “You work hard as a small designer to get noticed. Starting your own brand without backing is not easy,” she told EFE. It was not her first time designing for the artist. In fact, she had crafted a pava-inspired crown for his Vogue México y Latinoamérica cover.

Neysha De León Understands the Importance of This Moment

The original pava protects against the Caribbean sun. It is worn by jíbaros, men who work the fields. The design is practical and blunt. That history matters to De León. “The pava represents humility and the richness of Puerto Rican culture,” she said. She chooses not to dress up that meaning. She lets the shape speak for itself.

For her, fashion is not a mirror. It is memory. “Puerto Rican culture is much more than the flag,” she added. Her work speaks to that belief. It is emotional. De León stitches what many are tired of explaining.

The Boricua designer sees hats as both shelter and statement. They are not ornaments. “A good hat should last. It should protect you. But yes, it’s also about finding your style and not blending in.”

De León began over a decade ago with no blueprint and no promise of reward. She studied art in Puerto Rico, then design in New York. She has watched her homeland be reduced, rebranded and sold back to itself. She has never accepted that version and now builds another one with each stitch.

The hat was not loud. It did not flash. But it carried history on its crown and stood still. Nothing else needed to be said.

Felicidades, Neysha De León. You make all Latinas proud.