How black dandyism shaped this year's icon this year

The Met Gala this year celebrated black dandyism, self-expression and the seamstress of the next step-to-the-day metala of this year provided some of his most unforgettable looks.

On Monday, May 5, 2025, the stages of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City once again gathered into the world's most glamorous runway, as celebrities, designers and cultural icons for the Met Gala 2025.

This year's topic was “superfine: tailoring of the black style” and celebrated black dandyism, which refers to a tradition in which black people, especially men, used fashion as a form of self -expression and resistance. This rich history, which was deeply connected to the experiences of the blacks, made the topic really powerful. The topic could also be risky; An important problem was the potential for cultural appropriation. In view of the history of the MET GALA, which invites celebrities that were criticized because of the appropriation of the black culture, there was concern about non -black participants to misrepresent or change the black fashion without understanding their historical context.

The dress code of the evening, “tailor -made for you”, encouraged the participants to make the classic men's clothing unique and to infuse them with personal style and creativity. With Anna Wintour, the Colman Domingo, a $ Ap Rocky, Lewis Hamilton and Honor Co-Chairman LeBron James, the Met Gala 2025 was more than a celebration of fashion War-es, a brave tribute to history and identity.

The red carpet contained creations that contained elements that reflect the black cultural heritage and contemporary fashion trends. The color palette was dominated by black and white. Many participants opted for classic monochrome outfits. Accessories played an important role in the highlighting of black dandyism on the red carpet: outstanding pieces such as complicated jewelry, pocket watches and even sticks that were sought in the elegance of the past.

This topic was inspired by Monica L. Miller's pioneering work, Slaves to fashion: black dandyism and the styling of black diasporic identity. The exhibition examines how black individuals have used fashion historically to assert identity and to challenge social norms. For the first time in its history, the costume institute presents an exhibition that focuses exclusively on men's clothing and only shows color designers. With pieces from painting of the 18th century to contemporary works by Virgil Abloh, Grace Wales Bonner and Pharrell Williams, the exhibition extends from the centuries of expression, politics and pride over twelve powerful topics.

It is best to be dressed: brave, thoughtful and perfectly tailored.

Teyana Taylor in Ruth E. Carter

Teyana Taylor fascinated this year's Met Gala with a theatrical, Victistically inspired ensemble. She wore a three -part suit with black and gray stripes, complemented by a red cloak with voluminous shoulders and floral applications. Your accessories – a top hat, gloves, stick and suitable platform shoes – were the dramatic flair of the look. Taylor's outfit was a courageous interpretation of black dandyism that combined historical elements with contemporary fashion. This was not just a costume; It was a statement about presence, identity and possession of the room.

Rihanna in Marc Jacobs

Rihanna never misses and this year she has proven again why she is the Queen of Met Gala. She made her entrance and revealed her third pregnancy in a custom -made Marc Jacobs. In her look, a black and gray pinstripe dress showed, combined with a shortened wool jacket and an oversized black fedora, which was designed by Stephen Jones. The ensemble paid homage to men's clothing and black dandyism of the early 20th century and combined traditional tailoring with Rihanna's characteristic flair.

Doechii in Louis Vuitton

Doechii, the rapper awarded by Grammy, included the topic with a Louis Vuitton Ensemble, which was brought together with Pharrell Williams. Her outfit contained monogrammed checkered shorts, a shortened blazer, a chestnut breek and calf length socks. The look was inspired by Monica L. Miller's book “Slaves to Mode”, who took out black dandyism and fashion history with the focus of the gala.

Laura Harrier in Gap Studio

Laura Harrier turned his heads in a unique ensemble designed by Zac Poznan for GAP Studio. The use of gap and turned it into a little couture level was a brilliant movement. Her outfit has redesigned classic men's fashion with a vest and pants in a couture statement by exaggerated sleeves, a firmly lit waist, an ultra-wide silk satin pants and a denim vest. Inspired by family photos of Harrier's father and grandfather, who was dressed in the best part of her on Sunday, the look paid tribute to black dandyism and the focus of the topic on the self -presentation through tailor -made fashion. Laura Harrier's look was one of the smartest reputation the topic all night when she portrayed the topic with uniqueness and elegance.

Lewis Hamilton in Grace Wales Bonner

As Co-Chairman of the Met Gala 2025, Lewis Hamilton set a high standard with its outfit designed by Grace Wales Bonner. His suit contained a shortened jacket and high pants, supplemented by a embroidered sash. Accessories such as granat's ear cuffs and brooches with Baobab topics paid homage to his African heritage. Hamilton's appearance was a thoughtful homage to black dandyism, which combined historical references with contemporary fashion.

Zendaya in Louis Vuitton

Zendaya provided a look that perfectly summarized the topic of the evening. She wore a custom-made white three-part Louis Vuitton suit from Pharrell Williams. Her outfit referred to the classic Zoot suit, a symbol of black dandyism. The look also reflected Bianca Jagger's legendary Saint Laurent wedding line from 1971 and combined historical references with contemporary fashion. This appearance was Zendaya's seventh at the Met Gala in line with the topic of the event and celebration of the black Sartorial heritage.

Joey King in Miu Miu

Joey King made a striking debut in a custom -made Miu Miu. Her outfit was decorated with a lively green suit with mixed patterns and mirror decorations and paid homage to the rich tradition of black dandyism while infused with contemporary energy. King's look not only honored the historical roots of the black style, but also showed her willingness to cross fashion boundaries, which made it one of the outstanding participants of the night.

Damson Idris in Tommy Hilfiger

The actor Damson Idris delivered one of the most memorable moments of the evening with a dramatic fashion. He stepped on the red carpet with a white racing suit designed by Tommy Hilfiger with a helmet with over 20,000 Swarovski crystals. In a theatrical moment, Idris removed the racing suit to unveiled a finely tailor -made rouge moking, also from Hilfiger. The look paid homage to his role as Joshua “Noah” Pearce in the upcoming film F1where he plays next to Brad Pitt. His ensemble perfectly embodied the topic of the Met Gala and shows how the tailoring can serve as a mighty form of self -expression and cultural stories.

Courageous statements, modernisms and the following controversy

Blackpink's Lisa made her debut in Louis Vuitton, which quickly became one of the most spoken appearance of the evening. Her outfit contained a mere black lace bodysuit that was decorated with embroidered portraits and was paired with a tailor -made blazer and logo tights. The design was a collaboration between the creative director of Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams, and the artist Henry Taylor, who is known, to include faces from his personal life – families, friends and neighbors. There was a controversy when observer speculated that one of the embroidered faces of Rosa Park was, but it was his placement on the bodysuit that created critics. It was argued that it was inappropriate to find such a picture in this place, especially given the topic of the event that celebrated black fashion and culture.

Katy Perry became the center of an A-generated illusion that fascinated the Internet. Although realistic-generated pictures did not take part in the event due to their ongoing tour, Katy Perry showed in a slim black latex dress that was paired with a pinstripe blazer and perfectly matches the topic of the gala: “Superfine: Tacoring Black Style”. These pictures were so convincing that many fans believed that they had a surprising appearance. This was the second year in a row in which the AI-generated photos of Perry became viral at the Met Gala. In 2024, similar pictures not only fans, but also her own mother. This year Katy spoke in humorously on Instagram, shared the AI ​​pictures and clarified her actual place of residence. The incident triggered discussions about the growing sophistication of AI-generated content and its potential to blur the boundaries between reality and fiction. While many found humor in the situation, others were concerned about how easily these pictures can mislead the public.

At the Met Gala 2025, the topic “Superfine: Tacoring Black Style”, the model Amelia Gray Hamlin made a brave mode statement that quickly became one of the most discussed moments of the evening. Amelia Gray Hamlin's appearance at the Met Gala 2025 triggered considerable controversy due to her selection of accessories. The model was wearing a red pointed -valentino look that contained a headgear that resembled a traditional Durag. This accessory election led to criticism on social media, with many users describing it as a cultural appropriation. In this case, the use of a Durag, a piece of clothing with a deep cultural meaning in the black community, was considered problematic by someone outside of this community.

Due to her selection of clothing, Sydney Sweeney also had a certain controversy that was wrong with the topic of the event. She was wearing a black dress from sequin from Miu Miu, inspired by actress Kim Novak. This choice was an allusion to her impending role, which Novak in Colman Domingo's film was Scandalous!. Despite this explanation, many critics argued that her homage to a white actress for an event that celebrated black fashion and culture was inappropriate. They were of the opinion that the highlighting of a white icon did not follow the focus on black dandyism and the contributions of black designers and stylists.

This year's Met Gala was a night full of incredible fashion, cultural exploration and moments that triggered discussions. From the brave interpretations of the topic “Superfine: Tailoring the Black Style” to the following controversy, the red carpet really showed how fashion challenges norms, tell stories and think. Regardless of this, the Met Gala has again proven why it remains one of the most expected events in the fashion world in which the border between art and style is constantly brought to new heights.

As always, the Met Gala triggered a lot of debates about who nailed the topic and who missed the brand. What do you think about this year's best and worst dressed? Have there been outstanding moments or controversy that you spoke? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!