Coco Rocha: How I Chose My Met Gala Outfit

When Elizabeth Taylor‘s jewels and couture were up for auction at Christie’s in December, model Coco Rocha knew she had to buy something.

“I’m a big Elizabeth Taylor fan: her pictures are iconic and when I was really young, I watched every single one of her movies,” the model, 23, tells PEOPLE. “I don’t get star-crazy, but if I ever had met Elizabeth Taylor, I probably would’ve choked.”

Though she had her eye on a few items at the Christie’s sale, the only outfit she was able to snag was a neon Givenchy pants suit with matching jacket — an ensemble she calls her “Aladdin suit” — which she’ll debut Monday night at the Met Gala in New York City.

“I went [to the auction] with a few other girls and all of us were getting these emails from our husbands saying, ‘You be good now!’ But [my husband] James [Conran] didn’t [send one],” she recalls. “I said I was the lucky one, and he was happy for me. This model does not buy designer stuff, but it was very special. I was like, ‘Yes, I must!’”

Read more »