This year, the Met Gala made Black dandyism the belle of the ball, spotlighting a rich history of self-expression, sartorial resistance, and gender subversion, with Black queer icons sashaying down the carpet and visionary designers leading the way. The night celebrated identity through culture, tailoring, texture, and legacy.
Illustration by GAY45.The theme for the 2025 Met Gala was Superfine Tailoring: Tailored for You. Attendees were asked to pay homage to the art of Black dandyism, a tradition with roots that have transcended the ages into a timeless, albeit culturally specific, style. The theme set the tone on the blue carpet, with designers and celebrities highlighting the power of intentionality through their choices, with deliberate nods to history, identity, and cultural heritage. The Gala provides a space to reimagine what dandyism means in the modern-day.
For the first time in the event’s history, all five co-chairs were men of colour: Louis Vuitton creative director Pharrell Williams, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, actor Coleman Domingo, musician A$AP Rocky, and basketball icon Lebron James, the honorary co-chair. These men each champion their style and aren’t afraid to take risks with their self-presentation.
The guest curator was Monica L. Miller, whose book Slaves to Fashion inspired this year’s Met exhibit. She said in a Vogue interview that, this year, “we get a chance to see the figure that really encapsulates a matrix of identity… race, gender, class, sexuality…and also about clothing, dress, and fashion as a tool, as a critique, and as a creative mode of thinking about liberation.” She continues, “I think Black men and designers are very much at the forefront of this new renaissance in menswear.”
The presence of these men reinforces the message of cultural awareness and inclusivity while marking the symbolic shift in whose stories are centred at one of fashion’s most viewed events. 2025 will be remembered both as the first time ever that the Met Gala has celebrated Black fashion, as well as the first time it has centred menswear.
Just What Is Black Dandyism?
Let’s break it down. Although the looks were serving, Black dandyism is more than a sharp suit or an embellished lapel. It’s style with form and function, fashion as a message and glamour as a way of resistance. Yes, it’s abstract, but with deep historical roots established in the 18th and 19th centuries, it became a way to reclaim and assert dignity, creativity, and subversion in a world that denied Back individuals all three. It was the ultimate power play. The trend exploded through Harlem’s Renaissance and became a form of protest and performance.
Over time, Black dandyism turned into a way of challenging the imposed boundaries of race, gender, class, and sexuality. It was never just about clothes. It was about turning the gaze back on the gazer, and doing so with finesse.
The Costume Institute’s exhibition, which shares the Gala’s theme, dives into over 300 years of this history. It features everyone from 18th-century tailors to contemporary icons like Dapper Dan and André Leon Talley, tracing how Black people have used fashion not just to fit in, but to flip the script entirely.
This Is Where It Gets A Little Queer
Being no stranger to being otherised and oppressed, with the need to be seen and reclaim their power and rights, queer communities adopted and evolved dandyism to carve out a space where they were welcomed and loved. The ballroom scene was a scene for all which took dandyism and ran with it, which is now reflected in the tailoring seen on the blue carpet. Lace cuffs, pearl embellishments and sharp cuts, each detail is a declaration of history and how the style has grown and refuses to be boxed in.
In a world where queer Black bodies are politicised, and policed, dandyism offered a rare and radical visibility. It was camp with a conscience. A way of being seen on your own terms.
The late fashion editor André Leon Talley, a pioneering voice in fashion journalism and an early champion of Black elegance, embodied, as an openly-gay Black man, this very essence of Black dandyism.
Icons of the Evening
This year, celebrities and queer icons made powerful use of the theme. Each took queer themes to new levels
Teyana Taylor wore a custom red pinstripe suit and dramatic cape, stitched with the words “Harlem Rose,” a nod to the Harlem Renaissance. Co-designed by Ruth E. Carter and Marc Jacobs, her look referenced zoot suits and Harlem’s fashion legacy. It was bold, expressive, and androgynous.
Doechii, in a Louis Vuitton trouser short suit with tails, a burgundy bowtie, and a cigar, embodied a playful, gender-subverting dandyism. The styling spoke directly to queer Black aesthetics in hip-hop and high fashion.
Doja Cat wore a Marc Jacobs leopard print cone bra bodysuit with exaggerated shoulders and peplum hips – a bold homage to queer fashion legends like Grace Jones: whimsical, fun and experimental.
And Diana Ross, an eternal icon of the queer community, whose music became the voice of the disco generation, returned to the Met Gala for the first time in twenty-two years, wearing an eighteen-foot train created by Nigerian designer Ego Mozie.
Designers and Creative Direction
This year’s design credits weren’t just stitched onto labels – they were sewn straight into the narrative.
Ruth E. Carter, the Oscar-winning visionary behind Black Panther, brought her cinematic eye to Teyana Taylor’s ensemble, fusing filmic grandeur with Harlem swagger.
Dapper Dan, Harlem’s own couture revolutionary, continued his lifelong dialogue with dandyism, lacing it with softness, boldness, and a wink to streetwear’s roots.
Pharrell Williams, in his Louis Vuitton era, gave us Americana reworked through a dandy lens – think pearls, cowboy hats, and polished rebellion.
And then there was Olivier Rousteing, who turned heads with a literal sewing machine accessory, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the craft that underpins all the glam.
These weren’t just outfits – it’s about ownership, labour, legacy, and the power of being seen on your own terms.
Cultural Impact and Political Significance
In today’s political climate marked by legislative attacks on queer and trans rights, the 2025 Met Gala became more than a display of fashion. It marked a public affirmation of Black queer brilliance. By embracing the aesthetic of Black dandyism, stars weren’t just playing dress-up they were connecting to a cultural lineage that celebrates survival, visibility, and self-determined identity.
The event underscored the ongoing influence of queer communities in shaping what fashion looks like – and what it means. Dandyism in this context became both homage and resistance.
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