Met Gala 2025: A Stunning Tribute to Black Fashion, History & Culture

 The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York came alive Monday night as the annual Met Gala paid vibrant tribute to Black history, culture, and fashion.

Despite the rain, spirits were high on fashion’s biggest night, where celebrities, designers, models, and stylists graced the museum’s iconic steps — transformed with a blue carpet for the occasion — in dazzling ensembles.

This year’s much-anticipated dress code, “The Garden of Time: Tailored for You,” drew inspiration from the Costume Institute’s exhibition “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” The exhibit explores the legacy of Black dandyism, a movement that celebrates self-expression and sophistication in Black fashion. The Met’s theme aimed to guide creativity while encouraging personal interpretation — a challenge attendees enthusiastically embraced.

Many guests reimagined the zoot suit, a symbol of 1940s African American fashion with its bold shoulders and high-waisted pants. Designer Dapper Dan, speaking to CNN, reflected on the era’s influence, calling zoot suits and the Harlem Renaissance the origin of “real dandyism.” He noted, “It’s when Black artists and creatives began to dress the way they felt.”

Notably, this was the first Met Gala theme to spotlight menswear, prompting designers to innovate traditional tailoring for all genders. The blue carpet saw everything from Doja Cat’s oversized 1980s-inspired Marc Jacobs blazer to wide-lapeled jackets worn by stars like Tessa Thompson and rapper Doechii.

Janelle Monáe stunned in a layered ensemble: a printed outer jacket resembling a suit and tie, which she removed to reveal an actual tailored suit beneath, topped with a bowler hat and spinning clock monocle. Other standout looks included Zendaya’s three-piece Louis Vuitton outfit and Lupita Nyong’o’s aquamarine Chanel ensemble, complete with a chiffon cape and hat.

Men’s fashion also took center stage, with colorful, theatrical tailoring. “Bridgerton” star Regé-Jean Page dazzled in red, Henry Golding shined in gold, and Bad Bunny opted for a relaxed brown suit topped with a traditional Puerto Rican pava hat.

Many attendees paid homage to Black cultural icons. Co-chair Colman Domingo wore a sweeping blue Valentino cape, a nod to the late Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley. Fellow co-chair Lewis Hamilton and actress Anne Hathaway also honored Talley in their fashion choices. Actress Ayo Edebiri’s Ferragamo outfit paid tribute to the stylish men in her family, including her father.

Gigi Hadid's Miu Miu gown drew inspiration from pioneering Black designer Zelda Wynn Valdes, known for dressing legends like Josephine Baker and Ella Fitzgerald. Jodie Turner-Smith channeled equestrian Selina Lazevski in her look.

And then came the legends themselves: Diana Ross made a grand return to the Met Gala for the first time in over two decades, wearing a dramatic 60-pound gown with an 18-foot train embroidered with the names of her children and grandchildren.