The black swan! Girls star Allison Williams breathes elegance in floaty lace and chiffon gown to attend Winter Ball For Autism event

PUBLISHED: 01:56 EST, 3 December 2013 | UPDATED: 03:02 EST, 3 December 2013

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She plays the seriously uptight Marnie Michaels on Girls, but Allison Williams showed only fluid grace on Monday night.

The 25-year-old actress was both elegant and confident as she attended the Winter Ball For Autism gala at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art in New York City on Monday.

Allison wore a formal gown that consisted of a black lace, fitted bodice, a wide black belt that cinched in her waist and a full skirt layered with black chiffon ruffles.

Lovely: Allison Williams exuded elegance in a floaty lace and chiffon gown as she attended the Winter Ball For Autism event at New York City's Metropolitan Museum Of Art on Monday

The whole effect was one of weightlessness and grace, the kind found among the characters in a Tchaikovsky ballet.

Like a ballerina, Allison wore her dark brown hair pulled back in a knot, which allowed a better glimpse at those dangling earrings.

Vivid red lipstick and a small black clutch with room for just the barest of essentials completed the ensemble.

Confident: The Girls star may play the Type A Marnie on the HBO show, but here she was only the confident type

Black and red: Emma Myles, who stars on Netflix's Orange Is The New Black, stood out in a contemporary-style scarlet frock with shimmery black sleeves

Among friends: Orange Is The New Black star Michelle Hurst joined many of her series co-stars at the cocktail-dinner event

Allison, meanwhile, will soon be entertaining viewers of Girls once again when season three premieres on January 12.

The poster promoting the next installment boasts the tagline Happily Whatever After.

It shows Allison's character Marnie, Lena Dunham's Hannah and the rest of the troupe sprawled around a room after what looks like a party with pizza boxes and beer bottles strewn about.

Starry night: Selenis Leyva, who plays Gloria in the Netflix original series, wowed in a silvery, shimmery number

It's destiny: Former Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland was sleek in black while Dascha Polanca was radiant in royal blue satin

The black tie event, which was co-hosted by Tommy Hilfiger and his wife Dee, began with cocktails before moving onto a sit-down dinner.

The gala served to honour those who have made a difference in the fight to cure autism.

Autism disorder is a mental condition that is diagnosed in early childhood and is characterized by difficulty in communicating with other people and forming relationships as well as using language and understanding abstract concepts.

Talk about blending in: Entertaining queen Martha Stewart didn't cause any fluttering hearts in that beige dress and clutch that resembled a case for sunglasses

Like royalty: Actress Danielle Brooks certainly caused some favourable double takes in that ivory and silver-beaded gown

American mogul Martha Stewart, meanwhile, blended into the scenery in a long beige, button-up dress with a delicate ivory wrap and boxy clutch as her only other adornments.

Singer Kelly Rowland had it together in a clingy black, long-sleeved dress and her long hairstyle with bangs caused many looks her way.

Orange Is The New Black star Dascha Polanco was a vision in her royal-blue satiny number, and her Netflix show co-star Emma Myles stood out as well in a more contemporary red dress with black short sleeves.

Such an honour: Laura Slatkin, right, was among the honorees that night; she is seen posing with her daughter Ally Slatkin

Michelle Hurst, who plays Miss Claudette in the same series, shimmered in a black-over-red gown.

Selenis Leyva, who is known for her work in Maria Full Of Grace, Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs and currently Orange Is The New Black, literally sparkled in a silvery long dress with thin shoulder straps.

The night seemed to belong to the stars of the runaway web hit because Danielle Brooks was also in attendance, wearing a form-fitting white gown with silvery ribbon detail.

Honoree Laura Slatkin attended with her daughter Ally, with Laura wearing a black gown and Ally standing out in scarlet.