When the Met Gala sends out a dress code like "Tailored for You" and builds a theme around "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," you know it's not just fashion. This year, celebrities didn't just dress to impress; they dressed to educate, pay homage, and redefine the red carpet playbook, one custom stitch at a time.
The brains behind this deeply stylish operation are Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge at The Costume Institute, alongside guest curator and cultural scholar Monica L. Miller, whose 2009 book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity" inspired the theme. According to the Met's official Instagram, the exhibit explores "the Black dandy as both a concept and an identity signifier," and the blue carpet was where that concept came to life.
Monica Miller, Andrew Bolton, Colman Domingo and Max Hollein attend the press conference for the 2025 Met Gala celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
With sweeping silhouettes, ecclesiastical drama, and unmistakable gravitas, Domingo didn't just channel the late fashion icon; he resurrected his unapologetic opulence.
Her look nodded to Bianca Jagger, equal parts disco queen and political powerhouse. Draped in fluid tailoring with an edge of Latin flair, Zendaya reminded us that suiting up can still mean showing out.
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