The 2025 Met Gala, held on May 5 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, featured the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” focusing on Black dandyism—a cultural movement highlighting refined fashion as a form of self-expression and resistance. Inspired by Monica L. Miller’s book “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” the event aimed to explore the historical and cultural significance of Black style in the Atlantic diaspora.
While the gala’s organizers emphasized the celebration of Black fashion and identity, some media outlets and commentators interpreted the theme as a subtle critique of President Donald Trump‘s administration. The New York Times noted the exhibition’s relevance, highlighting its focus on designers of color and the historical use of fashion by Black men as tools of self-actualization and subversion. Cultural critic Louis Pisano remarked that centering Black style sends a significant message, suggesting that the theme was an intentional choice reflecting broader societal conversations.
Despite these interpretations, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour clarified that the exhibition was not conceived as a political statement but rather as a celebration of self-determination, beauty, and creativity. She acknowledged, however, that recognizing the contributions of Black designers holds heightened meaning in 2025.
The gala, co-chaired by figures such as A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, and Pharrell Williams, with LeBron James serving as an honorary chair, showcased the intersection of fashion, culture, and identity. The accompanying exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” is structured around twelve characteristics of Black dandyism, drawing from Zora Neale Hurston’s 1934 essay “The Characteristics of Negro Expression,” and features works by designers like Grace Wales Bonner and the late Virgil Abloh.
