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2025 Met Gala: Theme "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" Explained
New York
By CBS/AP
Updated: May 6, 2025 / 7:06 AM EDT
The 2025 Met Gala returned to New York City with a powerful theme celebrating Black style and the art of tailoring. Here's everything you need to know about this year’s exhibition and dress code.
The annual fashion event, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, takes its theme from the Costume Institute's spring exhibition. This year’s title: "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style", with the red carpet dress code dubbed "Tailored for You."
Celebrating Black Dandyism
The 2025 theme centers on Black dandyism and the impact of Black identity on fashion. Curated by scholar Monica L. Miller—author of "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity"—the exhibition explores how Black individuals have used fashion as a tool for self-expression and resistance from the 18th century to today.
According to Miller, fashion has served as both armor and art for Black people—from enslaved individuals stylized as signs of wealth, to modern-day trendsetters reclaiming style on their own terms.
Opening May 10 and running through October 26, the exhibit is the Costume Institute’s first in over 20 years to focus entirely on menswear. Admission is included with museum entry.
Gala Night Highlights
This year’s event featured co-chairs Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and longtime Met Gala mainstay Anna Wintour. Although LeBron James was named an honorary co-chair, a knee injury prevented his attendance.
The red carpet reflected the theme with an array of vibrant, tailored looks. Complex editor-in-chief Aria Hughes predicted appearances from icons like André 3000 and Slick Rick, noting their cultural influence and distinctive style.
Hughes also highlighted designer Grace Wales Bonner as one to watch, praising her work for capturing the intersection of Black male identity and contemporary tailoring.
The History Behind the Look
Black dandyism traces back to the 18th century, when enslaved or servant-class individuals in Europe were adorned to reflect their owners’ wealth. Over time, fashion became a means of resistance and cultural pride.
After Emancipation, Black Americans embraced bold, expressive style, particularly during the Harlem Renaissance. Zoot suits—flamboyant and oversized—emerged as a rebellious statement, especially during wartime fabric rations.
Today, dandyism continues to evolve. “It’s about discipline in dress,” said Hughes. “It’s not just about suits—it’s about using style to challenge stereotypes and shape perception.”
As designer Dapper Dan once noted, there’s more than one kind of dandy: “the ascot dandy and the sweatsuit dandy.”
Past Gala Themes
Recent Met Gala themes have ranged from nature and fantasy to cultural icons. In 2024, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” featured a botanical-inspired “Garden of Time” dress code. In 2023, the gala honored designer Karl Lagerfeld. Earlier years included “Camp: Notes on Fashion” (2019) and “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” (2018).
The 2025 Met Gala not only dazzled with fashion but also served as a historic acknowledgment of Black creativity and influence in global style.
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