Met Gala 2025

By: Ayla Sichi '28

The Met Gala, often regarded as the fashion Olympics, occurs every year on the first Monday of May. The prestigious event was founded in 1948 to help fund the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Its current main organizer and co-chair is fashion icon and American Vogue editor in chief, Anna Wintour. Over the years, some of the mainstream media’s and high culture’s most influential people have attended and made their mark through dramatic looks that pertain to each year's unique theme. Attendees to the event are invited by luxury fashion houses and work with designers to come up with a look representative of the individual, brand, and theme. This could be archival, or something completely new and unseen before. 

This year, the theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” with its co-chairs, actor and playwright Colman Domingo, race car driver Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky, musician Pharrell Williams, and basketball player LeBron James. Selected by Anna Wintour herself, co-chairs are tasked with promoting the event, planning its theme, guest list, performances, and food. Along with the official theme, a stress was put on Black Dandyism, as the theme was inspired by the book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity by Monica L. Miller. Black Dandyism is profound in its exaggerated looks, as it centers around the idea of fashion being an everyday integral part of one’s life. It takes one’s personal style and elevates it to be a continuous art form. Black Dandyism originates all the way back to the Atlantic Slave Trade, where it was used as a way for previously enslaved people to reclaim their identities. Looks were primarily European and highly sophisticated, which further empowered those who chose to challenge social norms. The Black Dandy was typically a man adorned with a sharp suit, pointed shoes, and a bow tie. To Ethan Gibson 25’, Black Dandyism can be defined as, “Black people forcing ourselves into the historic canon/into gaining respect via innovative dress.” With this in mind, Gibson expected there to be “a wider variety of experimentation,” and more use of color from the guests.

While elements of the Black Dandy were prominent on the carpet, other references were made that paid homage to influential Black fashion and art. A primary example was co-chair Lewis Hamilton, who wore Wales Bonner, a British fashion designer whose work is known to be inspired by Black male history. The British F1 Ferrari racer’s suit was inspired by African American artist Barkley L. Hendricks’ “portraiture.” Hamilton described in an Instagram post that the white monochromatic look took months of research to create, saying that, “This is more than just a suit, this is ancestral history.” Hamilton’s suit was full of references and symbolism. This was seen through his cowrie shell-lined sash, which is a talisman in West African culture. Additionally, he symbolized African heritage, growth, and memory through his Whirligig African Daisy cufflinks. When reflecting, he said that it was “stylish, spiritual, and sharp.” Other memorable looks from the night included Cardi B in Burberry with a woven green floor-length coat, Doechii in a Louis Vuitton monogram suit, Ayo Edebiri in a Ferragamo white dress with a black coat and red cultural beads. Known for her exaggerated looks, Doja Cat showed up in Marc Jacobs with a Zoot Suit inspired bodysuit. A Zoot Suit with influence from the early Black Dandy was historically worn by men of color in minority working-class neighborhoods in the 1940s. The Zoot Suit was loud in both its dramaticized details and political message. Aspects of the Zoot suit were seen in her exaggerated silhouette, from her massive shoulder pads to her Kiki stiletto boots. The classic Zoot Suit pinstripe pattern was also incorporated. Additionally, she also captured part of her own brand, the cat, through the front of the body suit, which featured ocelot fur print. More looks included, Bad Bunny in Prada sporting a bowling bag, a hat historic to Puerto Rico and elements of the Black Dandy. Janelle Monae wore two looks. Her first was a 2D cutout of a red and black pinstripe suit, which, when removed, revealed the actual suit. She was also adorned with a tophat that attached a striking monocle. Rihanna, Whoopi Goldberg, Ms. Lauren Hill, Gigi Hadid, Cynthia Arivo, Zendaya, Emma Chamberlain, Tyler Mitchell, Jenna Ortega, Christian Latchman, Alex Consani, Simone Biles, Chappell Roan, Sora Choi, Anok Yai, Teyana Taylor, and Charlie xcx were also just a few of the many who attended.  

When looking at the impact of the Met Gala on the Cate community, BSU members were asked what their take was on the event’s overall significance, theme, and its outfits. While interviewing Ethan Guerrier 27’, he expressed that he liked the overall looks’ sophistication mixed with the “spice that the Black designers added.” He voiced that he especially appreciated the diversity of culture on the carpet and how it was incorporated to make a statement or tell a story. In his words, “It's kind of like getting a plate of food… It's just got different pieces of the world.” Shirdon Nouh 28’ brought up a meaningful point on the potential irony of the theme, relative to the guests. He recognizes that notoriously wealthy guests trying to “make something that’s historically African-American” and “historically for slaves” into something “bougie…wouldn’t sit right with some people”. While it is interesting to look at fashion stretched to the extreme, it is equally important to take a step back and be critical of what is the spectacle of the Met Gala. It is crucial to recognize the privilege that comes with being a guest and the disconnect viewers might feel when seeing such a lavish event. At the same time though, Nouh observes, “Shouting out African-American culture like that, and showing how it really does influence fashion, is a really good cause.” With great privilege comes great responsibility, so choosing a theme that recognizes the historically under-appreciated influence Black culture has had on fashion sends a message greater than the event’s prestige itself.

In regard to the fundraising aspect of the show, 2025 served as a record-breaking year, raising a total of $31 million. The Met Gala also amassed 1.2 billion total views from Vogue’s website and YouTube channel. Along with this, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” was the first theme that centered around designers of color and the first theme since 2003 that has centered around menswear. In making their looks, attendees thought deeply about historic Black fashion, influential Black artists, their own culture, and how they wanted to represent their own unique identities. In respect to the whole event, Ethan Gibson 25’ reflects, “It’s always exciting to see your culture appreciated and celebrated, even more so when it’s an event shrouded in such prestige that is doing so.”