The Met Gala 2025: "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style"

    Ladies and gentlemen, dear fashionlovers, it is time for one of our favorite moments of the year. The one and only Met Gala. 

    The way my excitement is bigger each year is insane and today I have the right to be happier because of the theme. In Glee, Kurt Hummel said "Mercedes is black. I'm gay. We make culture" and just like that, we are today celebrating black excellence. 

THE THEME:

    The theme takes its inspiration from Monica Miller's book: "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity", in which she presents black dandyism as a construction that is both aesthetic and political. This Met Gala is completed by the Costume Institute exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style", that aims to highlight the profound importance of clothing and style in the formation of Black identities throughout the Atlantic diaspora, particularly in the United States and Europe. 

    During the post-emancipation, the Harlem Renaissance (1920s-1930s) saw Black Americans boldly express themselves through fashion, with women in furs and beaded dresses, and men in tailored fabrics and hats. The zoot suit emerged as a subversive style. If you are not familiar with the Harlem Renaissance, it was a movement of self-expression and pride for African Americans. They created their own identity  by putting a focus on African American culture and rejecting the European culture. The Harlem Renaissance was reflected in art like with Palmer Hayden, in music thanks to Louis Armstrong who revolutionized jazz music or even in fashion. 

    The Harlem Renaissance was revolutionary, it was a time when African Americans expressed their identity and challenged every field. It was a reflection of the changing social and cultural attitudes of the time. The fashion of the Harlem Renaissance showcased the creativity and innovation of African Americans, laying the foundation for future generations of designers and style icons. Women wore for instance flapper dresses, cloche hats, long pearl necklaces and feather boas (think of Joséphine Baker's style). Men in the other hand, used to wear tailored suits representing elegance. 

    Today, we can define dandyism as a dedication to dress as a discipline, expressed through tailored or casual wear. It's seen as a way to challenge stereotypes and impact perceptions, particularly for Black individuals. Black dandyism, with roots in the Harlem Renaissance, embodies identity, agency, and a celebration of life.

THE HOST: 

Who could have done a better job than those men at hosting ? This year, the Met Gala was hosted  by:

Pharrell Williams, the second Black man to hold the creative director title at Louis Vuitton (remember, Virgil Abloh was first). In 2024, we discovered his first collection with the French brand that was a celebration of Black cowboys; 

Colman Domingo who took our breath away by his acting in Sing Sing and his looks during the awards season;

Sir Lewis Hamilton, the fashion icon of the paddock who made history last year by joining the Scuderia Ferrari. By the way, Lewis Hamilton's post with Ferrari has reached 5.1 million likes here on Instagram and has become the most liked photo in the history of Formula 1; 

A$ap Rocky, the Fashion Killa; 

Along Anna Wintour herself, as the honorary chair, the GOAT of basketball: Lebron James. 

Andrew Bolton, the head curator of the Anna Wintour Costume Center said: "These men are not afraid to take risks in terms of looks. They take advantage of classic forms, but they remix and decompose them in a really new way". 

WHY IS THIS THEME IMPORTANT TODAY ? 

    I think that the theme is even more important today because of the far-right-ification of the world. We saw Donald Trump reelected, the AfD had a 20% historic score at the German federal elections, the RN obtained 7.7 million votes at the European Union election, … This theme holds a lot of symbolics especially today. It directly challenges far-right narratives that try to erase or marginalize non-white contributions to society. 

    In many countries, far-right movements are gaining momentum by pushing anti-immigration, anti-DEI, and anti-woke agendas. These ideologies often frame multiculturalism and racial progress as threats to national identity. Acknowledging the contribution of Black people in fashion and acknowledging Black excellence is considered too woke for some people, that is wrong. Celebrating Black style isn’t about being “too woke,” it’s about giving credit where it’s long overdue.

    It celebrates and centers Black creativity, identity, and cultural legacy in the fashion world, an industry where Black influence has long been present but often uncredited or under appreciated. Centering Black style at a high-profile event like the Met Gala sends a powerful message about inclusion and visibility. Andrew Bolton said "I think black men and black designers are at the forefront of this renaissance of men's fashion."

 

Black people have reclaimed their heritage and it bothers. Look at Beyonce's album Cowboy Carter or we can take an example on the performance of Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl with at the beginning as a surprise guest, Samuel L. Jackson portraying the American symbol Uncle Sam. Samuel L. Jackson said "Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto. Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game ? Then tighten up." and Kendrick Lamar played Humble, a way to say that Black people should be humble, not loud and invisible to conform to the agenda. 

Before playing Not Like Us, Kendrick Lamar made a reference to the 40 acres and a mule, a post-Civil War promise to give newly freed Black Americans land and resources to start independent lives. However, after President Lincoln’s assassination, President Andrew Johnson reversed the order and returned the land to former white owners. This line is now rightfully used to highlight racial injustice.

    In a world where far-right ideologies seek to silence and sanitize cultural narratives, honoring Black creativity is more than fashion, it is defiance, pride, and progress.

MY FAVORITE LOOKS:

I am not going to lie, it was hard to pick my favorite looks because most of the people who attended the Met Gala understood the assignment. 

Here are my favourite men's looks. If you want to see all of my favorite looks, go see my video on TikTok about it, here's the link: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNd6BLGeh/

Colman Domingo in Valentino.

Colman Domingo, co-host of the gala, paid a vibrant tribute to the illustrious André Leon Talley, a great name in fashion journalism. The actor stepped on the carpet in a royal blue cape, a signature of the late Vogue editor, nicknamed the "dandy among the dandies".

Lewis Hamilton in Grace Wales Bonner. 

At the 2025 Met Gala's Black dandyism theme, Lewis Hamilton's understated cream Wales Bonner suit and Stephen Jones beret subtly referenced Black men's historical use of style as expression and resistance. The beret, from the Black Panthers' militant uniform symbolizing discipline to West African intellectuals' mark of non-assimilating Black modernity, carries significant cultural weight. Jones' restrained design, paired with Bonner's diasporic tailoring, honored this tradition without mere imitation. Hamilton's intentional look quietly navigated this history of Black men dressing to resist, assert presence, or simply exist.  

Damson Idris in Tommy Hilfiger. 

Arriving at the Met Gala in an APXGP race car promoting his upcoming F1 film, actor and Tommy Hilfiger ambassador Idris Elba wore a custom Hilfiger racing suit and a Swarovski-crystal-covered helmet. This served as both costume and campaign, highlighting Tommy Hilfiger's sponsorship and Elba's role as a young Black driver in a sport historically lacking Black representation (with Lewis Hamilton as the sole figure). The obvious cross-promotion underscored Elba's symbolic presence in uniform.

A$AP Rocky in A$AP Rocky, Briony Raymond.

A$AP Rocky made a statement at this Met Gala, arriving in a self-designed custom black suit and AWGE parka, accessorized with a Briony Raymond diamond-encrusted revolver umbrella. This bold choice, just months after his acquittal in a gun violence lawsuit, was interpreted by many as a symbolic and potentially provocative response to the trial and public scrutiny. Again, it shows that fashion is political. 

Here are my favourite women's looks. Again I did a full video about it, go check it: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNd6BHxNy/

Zendaya in Louis Vuitton.

Zendaya's sharp white Louis Vuitton suit at the Met Gala, complete with waistcoat and wide-brimmed hat, echoed Bianca Jagger's bold, braless white Yves Saint Laurent suit from her 1971 wedding. Jagger's trousered look, a statement of equality and dominance as a Black woman, became her signature. Zendaya's outfit aligns with this tradition of Black dandyism as a form of powerful image control, potentially referencing Diana Ross as well. Regardless, Zendaya's suit signifies entering a lineage of women who use tailoring not to disappear, but to command attention.

Teyana Taylor in Marc Jacobs.

The look was inspired by zoot suits. The costume designer Ruth E. Crankcase added feathers, lace, crystals and on the edge of her cape, embroidered with a tone-on-tone string, is the title "Rose in Harlem" by the singer.

Laura Harrier in Gap Studio.

Harrier described her outfit as having an "emotional synergy with fashion" because "the materials are a form of storytelling on their own." She told WWD that "they speak to heritage and luxury, strength and grace," and praised Zac Posen's "sculptural touch" for making her feel "powerful." She concluded, "I’ve never worn anything like it, and I’ve never felt more connected to a look."

Tyla in Jacquemus.

Tyla's outfit was also a tribute to André Leon Talley. Stylist Law Roach, who worked with Tyla (and Zendaya) for the 2025 Met Gala, confirmed this inspiration on Instagram Stories, posting a picture of Talley in a comparable black and white striped piece. The navy stripes and voluminous shirt honored Talley, while the structured poplin recalled classic dandy attire.

Jodie Turner-Smith in Burberry.

This look drew inspiration from Selika Lazevski, a Black equestrian in Belle Époque Paris. Reinterpreting an 1891 photograph by Paul Nadar, it reimagined the classic Victorian silhouette using rich, textured leather and included a matching top hat.

CONCLUSION: 

Stella Jean, an Italian-Haitian designer recognized as the first black Italian stylist said: "Fashion can be used as a cultural translator and a tool against colonisation; it re-establishes the balance between symbols, stories and different worlds through style."

Thanks for reading my article <3

By Aya L.