Why the 2025 Met Gala Mattered—Even If You're Not Into Fashion
Tailoring Black Style and Undressing This Year’s Met Gala Theme
Time to suit up—the first Monday in May always brings out fashion’s boldest, but the 2025 Met Gala struck a deeper chord. This year’s event raised a record-breaking $31 million for the Costume Institute, making it the most successful gala in its 77-year history.
The theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” paid tribute to the Black dandy—a figure who has long used fashion as resistance, elegance as power, and tailoring as identity. Curated by Dr. Monica L. Miller, professor and author of Slaves to Fashion, the exhibition spotlighted fashion’s transformative power as both personal expression and cultural legacy. As The Met described it, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style explores the importance of style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora, particularly in the United States and Europe.” For Miller, dandyism is ultimately about “dressing wisely and well”—a strategic form of self-presentation that reclaims visibility, history, and humanity. It looked back with reverence and forward with intention, celebrating Black visionaries who turned style into language, identity, and power.
This year’s Met steps were a reminder that Black fashion has always shaped the broader narrative, often without credit. The official dress code, “Tailored for You,” invited guests to reimagine suiting through heritage. That vision was realized both on the red carpet and in the event’s leadership. For the first time in the Met Gala’s history, all four co-chairs were Black men: A$AP Rocky, Pharrel Williams, Colman Domingo, and Lewis Hamilton—each embodying the theme not just in what they wore, but in how they showed up.
Lewis Hamilton wore a custom ivory suit by Grace Wales Bonner—a thoughtful sartorial exploration of identity—featuring a cropped jacket, high-waisted tuxedo-striped trousers, coattails, an embroidered sash, and a beret by Stephen Jones Millinery.
A$AP Rocky wore an AWGE ensemble inspired by Harlem sportswear from his youth.
Colman Domingo collaborated on his look, later reflecting on how moving it was to see Black mannequins styled with care.
Pharrell Williams appeared in a pearl-covered blazer—his own design, realized by the Louis Vuitton team. Embellished with 100,000 pearls and crafted over 980 hours, it was paired with black flared trousers. He called the night “a reflection of Black resiliency in a world that continues to be colonized.”
This Met wasn’t about who wore what—it was about why. Celebrities honored the roots and reach of Black style through sharp tailoring, sculptural silhouettes, and meaningful detail. It was fashion as both spectacle and statement, reminding us that clothing can be a form of storytelling.
At its core, tailoring is about intention. Every pleat, pocket square, and shoulder line told a story—of Harlem jazz clubs, barbershop bravado, church suits, and streetwear swagger. Designers leaned into double-breasted jackets, high collars, satin-lined interiors, and crisp silhouettes that echoed legacy while looking forward.
Looking superfine on the carpet…
Janelle Monáe wore custom Thom Browne, gender-defying and architectural, featuring a motorized clock monocle crafted by Cameron Hughes.
Bad Bunny blended Latin American flair with classic tailoring in a deconstructed Prada suit and floral train, topped with a traditional Puerto Rican pava designed by Neysha De León.
Rihanna turned the stairs into a stage with a voluminous Marc Jacobs suit-inspired dress, revealing her third pregnancy.
Diana Ross stole the night in a shimmering ode to disco-era glamour, wearing an 18-foot feathered shawl embroidered with the names of her children and grandchildren, designed in collaboration with her son Evan Ross and designer Ugo Mozie.
Zac Posen’s denim-heavy look for Gap, worn by Laura Harrier, proved that tailoring lives everywhere—from couture to mall brands. (One of my personal favorites of the night)
The beauty of this year’s theme lies in its accessibility. You didn’t need to be a fashion expert to feel its impact, you just had to pay attention. What I appreciated most about this year’s theme was the cultural conversation it sparked—not just during the event, but in the days that followed. For Black viewers especially, it felt like a long-overdue acknowledgment of how deeply style lives in, and has been shaped by, Black communities. But even for those outside of fashion, or outside of that culture, there was power in watching people step into their heritage and wear it unapologetically. It’s a reminder that what you wear can say something about where you come from, who you are, and where you're going.
If fashion isn’t your thing, then suit yourself. But this year’s Met wasn’t just fashion for fashion’s sake. It was thoughtful, referential, and real. And that’s why it matters, even if you’ve never watched a red carpet in your life.
At the end of the day, style is about self-definition. The 2025 Met Gala offered a clear message: tailoring is timeless. Whether you're into avant-garde or minimalism, there’s something grounding about a well-cut blazer or a clean pair of trousers. It doesn’t have to be flashy to be powerful—it just has to be yours.
For more information about the Met Gala and the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition, visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s official site.
