The 2025 Met Gala, themed “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” celebrated Black dandyism and the cultural significance of fashion in shaping Black identities. The dress code, “Tailored for You,” invited guests to interpret suiting through personal and political lenses. But it was Black women who led the charge—not just embracing the theme, but redefining it. They brought forth some of the most powerful, poetic, and talked-about looks of the night, blending personal narratives with historical references to deliver statements that were as visually stunning as they were culturally resonant.
Diana Ross: A Legendary Return in Grand Style
Diana Ross returned to the Met steps after two decades with the commanding presence only she could bring. The Motown icon ascended the Met steps in a sweeping white custom gown by Nigerian designer Ugo Mozie, adorned with sparkling crystals and beads and featuring an astonishing 18-foot train embroidered with the names of her children and grandchildren. The look fused timeless glamour with Ross’s personal mythology, her silhouette a soaring homage to matriarchy, music, and memory.
Zendaya: Tailored Iconography
Styled by Law Roach and dressed by Louis Vuitton, Zendaya reimagined the zoot suit with surgical precision. Her white three-piece tuxedo, complete with wide-brimmed hat and serpentine brooch, married Harlem Renaissance suiting with Studio 54 swagger. The look was crisp, commanding, and supremely modern. Zendaya wasn’t referencing history; she was inserting herself into it—a study in how tailoring becomes armor, language, and stage.
Teyana Taylor: Harlem Rose in Bloom
Teyana Taylor, in collaboration with Ruth E. Carter, arrived in a red pinstripe three-piece suit and cape embroidered with “Harlem Rose.” Every detail—from the silver chains to the feathered fedora—was an ode to jazz-era elegance and Taylor’s own Harlem roots. Her cane tapped with intention; her stance, pure defiance. In a world of gowns, she gave us architecture, ancestry, and attitude.
Rihanna: Menswear as Mythology
Arriving fashionably late (of course), Rihanna closed the carpet in a Marc Jacobs ensemble that felt like jazz-age folklore. A pinstripe corset, slashed skirt, cropped tuxedo jacket, and polka-dot ascot framed her third pregnancy with sovereign confidence. Topped by a wide-brim hat and glinting brogues, she embodied both the dandy rebel and the Black matriarch—a symphony of structure, silhouette, and self.
Ms. Lauryn Hill: Diasporic Crown
In her long-awaited Met Gala debut, Lauryn Hill wore a butter-yellow suit by Pharrell for Louis Vuitton, crowned by a sculptural cape that hovered around her afro like a halo. Her ensemble balanced dandyism with diasporic regality—a tailored hymn to Black womanhood. Every accessory spoke with intention: gold earrings, a crimson tie, and Ghanaian royal jewelry by Emefa Cole. She walked not just as a legend, but as a lineage.
Janelle Monáe: Surrealist Tailoring Reborn
Janelle Monáe entered cloaked in a trompe l’œil coat that mimicked a suit, only to reveal a half-red, half-pinstripe tailored masterpiece beneath. Designed by Thom Browne and Paul Tazewell, the deconstructed look toyed with identity, symmetry, and gender. Her monocle, her briefcase, her knowing grin—Monáe turned the carpet into a theatre of style and ideology.
Keke Palmer: Tribute to Dorothy Dandridge
Keke Palmer honored the late Dorothy Dandridge in a Vera Wang ensemble blending classic Hollywood and modern design. A fitted ivory bodice, black tuxedo pants, and a crystal-studded ball skirt evoked elegance and edge. Palmer’s look paid homage to the pioneering actress while reimagining Black cinematic glamour through the lens of modern suiting.
Regina King: Eden in Embroidery
Regina King’s navy bespoke suit by Who Decides War was embroidered with a divine tableau: three Black angels spanning her torso and trousers, flanked by green beaded vines. Inspired by the Garden of Eden, it was spiritual couture, storytelling through stitch. Styled simply, her look let the art speak. King didn’t wear a suit; she wore a scripture of lineage, resilience, and rebirth.
Jodie Turner-Smith: Belle Époque Equestrianism
Channeling 19th-century Black equestrian Selina Lazevski, Jodie Turner-Smith arrived in burgundy leather Burberry. A top hat, long bustle coat, and velvet boots gave the look historical depth and contemporary polish. She rode the carpet like a commander in couture, reminding us that heritage is a power one can wear.
Tyla: The Future, Draped in the Past
South African singer Tyla wore a custom Jacquemus pinstriped gown with a cape that echoed a classic men’s dress shirt. Her platinum pixie cut and subtle accessories nodded to old Hollywood, but her presence was the future incarnate: global, young, and rooted in Black tailoring traditions. She wore the theme with quiet power and next-gen elegance.
Halle Berry: Tailored to Dazzle
After a seven-year hiatus, Halle Berry made a striking return in a sheer black LaQuan Smith gown with structured pinstripe details, paired with a cropped tuxedo jacket and a dramatic veil. Highlighted by a Cartier snow leopard necklace with over 31 carats of diamonds, her look fused opulence with precision tailoring, making a stunning statement of presence and permanence.
Cardi B: Baroque Dandyism, Reinvented
Burberry and Daniel Lee reimagined Cardi B as a 19th-century dandy with Bronx bravado. Her emerald velvet coat, open-backed and jewel-encrusted, revealed a ruffled blouse and jacquard trousers beneath. It was both maximalist and tailored, decadent and disciplined—a balancing act Cardi executed with gleeful flair. The circular cutout at the back was a wink, a challenge, a celebration.Cultural Impact and Legacy
Cultural Impact and Legacy
The 2025 Met Gala’s theme was inspired by Monica Miller’s seminal work Slaves to Fashion, which explores the intersections of Black identity, sartorial resistance, and dandyism. The gala raised a record-breaking $31 million for the Costume Institute, underscoring the powerful cultural and economic resonance of honoring Black fashion. Through impeccable tailoring and bold storytelling, Black women didn’t just attend the Met Gala—they authored a new chapter in fashion history.
It marked a paradigm shift in red-carpet culture—where symbolism, history, and high fashion converged in the hands of Black women shaping the narrative.
