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Met Gala 2025 to Celebrate Black Style with a Custom-Fitted Twist
May 5, 2025, 12:53.28 am ET

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Photo: Cititour.com

Get ready for a red carpet like no other.

The 2025 Met Gala will strut into The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, May 5, with a star-studded lineup of co-chairs—Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour—joined by honorary chair LeBron James and an electric host committee spanning Hollywood, fashion, music, and sports.

The theme? Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, an exhibition spotlighting the rich legacy and radical edge of Black dandyism and menswear from the 18th century to today. And the official dress code—"Tailored for You"—calls on attendees to bring their sharpest cuts and most personal interpretations of power suiting to the steps of the Met.

This year's gala is once again bankrolled by Louis Vuitton, with backing from Instagram, the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation, and other major players in culture and style.

On the culinary side, Bronx-raised chef and James Beard winner Kwame Onwuachi will design the night’s menu, while artist Cy Gavin leads creative direction for the red carpet, with Tony winner Derek McLane and longtime Met Gala designer Raúl Àvila setting the tone inside.

The Costume Institute’s accompanying exhibition—opening to the public on May 10—dives deep into how Black communities across the Atlantic diaspora have used tailoring as a tool of resistance, identity, and celebration. Guest curated by Monica L. Miller, the show features everything from 19th-century jockey silks and Frederick Douglass’ tailoring tools to modern looks by LaQuan Smith, Wales Bonner, and Denim Tears. It spans twelve thematic zones with titles like Champion, Disguise, Cool, and Beauty, each unpacking the political and personal power of looking good.

Exhibition design comes courtesy of Torkwase Dyson, while artists Tanda Francis and Iké Udé add sculptural and photographic flourishes that ground the show in both community and individuality.

Expect a lineup of public programs—from walking tours to talks at The Apollo and Bed-Stuy’s Billie Holiday Theater—and a film series with Metrograph that digs further into the stories behind the styles.

As for the Gala? Expect custom looks, cultural statements, and maybe a few unexpected tailoring tricks. As Sha’Carri Richardson put it: “Our style isn’t just what we wear—it’s how we move, how we own our space.”

The exhibition “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” opens May 10 and runs through October 26, 2025, at The Met Fifth Avenue (Gallery 999, Floor 2). Member previews begin May 6.


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