Opulence, precision tailoring, pinstripes, and trailing trains were the highlights on the first Monday in May during fashion’s biggest night – the Met Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. From the moment guests, including Irish actors Barry Keoghan and Andrew Scott, stepped on to the floral-encrusted carpet, it was clear this wasn’t a night for subtlety. The Met Gala isn’t a place for style restraints, regardless, and with the dress code encouraging creative interpretations, there was no holding back for the slew of starry guests.
Stars, including Scott and Keoghan, Diana Ross, and Anne Hathaway, presented their versions of the evening’s dress code, Tailored for you, which pays homage to the Costume Institute’s exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. Co-curated by Monica L Miller and the Met’s Andrew Bolton, the exhibit is based on Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.
This was the first menswear-focused show in over two decades, and more importantly, the first to celebrate Black culture entirely and put Black style at the forefront. In an interview with The New York Times, Anna Wintour, chairwoman of the Met and editor-in-chief at Vogue, said, “The Met recognising and taking seriously the contributions of Black designers and the Black community in fashion has a heightened meaning in 2025.”
With the exhibit’s emphasis on Black fashion, particularly dandyism, it was no surprise that the red carpet was brimming with sharp tailoring, cultural references, and creations by Black designers. A carefully curated crowd, including models, designers, actors, and musicians, took to the floral-printed carpet decked out in custom ensembles and archival pieces.
With Louis Vuitton the leading fashion sponsor of the event, and its menswear creative director Pharrell Williams serving as co-chair, the French fashion house’s presence was felt throughout the night. Wintour opted for an icy-blue maxi coat and silver dress by Vuitton. Actor Zendaya wore a full three-piece satin white suit by Vuitton, topped off with a floppy-brimmed hat. Rapper and singer Doechii went for a monogrammed tailcoat and short suit. Keeping it short and sweet and ditching the trousers but making it fashionable was singer Sabrina Carpenter, who had an oxblood-tailored pantless look with trailing trails, also by Vuitton. Most notably, Vuitton’s presence was felt with tribute looks to the late Virgil Abloh, who helmed the brand until his passing in 2021. Wintour paid homage to Abloh by drawing inspiration from one of his collections for her Met Gala ensemble.
There were also numerous nods to former Vogue creative director and Met Gala stalwart Andre Leon Talley, who died in 2022. One of the most influential Black fashion voices, Talley’s opulent style embodied the spirit of this year’s theme. He was known for his love of capes, kaftans, and opulent textures. Fittingly, some of these personal pieces are included in the exhibit.
Embracing that grandeur was co-chair and actor Colman Domingo, who wore a bright, bold pleated cape and exaggerated bib by Valentino that appeared very Talley-coded. Domingo shed his cape, returning to the carpet in a pearl-encrusted windowpane check blazer and polka dot tie. Tessa Thompson paid tribute to Talley with a church fan embossed with his image.
Anne Hathaway wore a Carolina Herrera ensemble of white-button down and sequin-encrusted skirt by creative director Wes Gordon, who used Talley as an inspiration.
Some guests, including Heidi Klum, Sadie Sink and Suki Waterhouse, went sleek and safe, tailoring the theme to the signature style. Others took a more straightforward approach to the theme, with classic tailoring prominent. One early trend that emerged was the perennial print of pinstripe. Pharrell Williams showcased a subtle take in a Vuitton look, featuring pearls as pinstripes, while YouTuber and Vogue correspondent Emma Chamberlin opted for a custom Courreges pinstripe tailored dress with a long train. Singers Tyla, Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, and actors Quinta Brunson and Patrick Schwarzenegger also went for riffs on the classic pattern. Rihanna, arriving last to the carpet, went for a custom couture look by Marc Jacobs with a bustier bodysuit wrapped around her baby bump with a black deconstructed pinstripe skirt.
Deconstructed takes on tailoring were a natural choice, with Chamberlin leading the charge. Doja Cat opted for pinstripe but gave it a twist in bodysuit form with added tiger print. Whoopi Goldberg wore a mixed-media jacket of satin and sequins by Thom Browne, while Zoë Saldaña, also in Thom Browne, went sculptured and deconstructed. With a trio of deconstructed looks, Browne also decked out White Lotus actor Walton Goggins in a skirt suit. Kendall Jenner opted for an independent Black British designer, Torishéju, with a grey corseted skirt suit.
With the tailoring theme, structured bodices and corsetry were strongly represented on the red carpet. Kim Kardashian went for a croc-embossed leather corset and skirt; Kylie Jenner opted for a boned-sheer corseted tweed dress by Ferragamo. Nicole Kidman opted for Balenciaga with a subtle corseted dress with bow detail. Singer Rosalia went for a sculpted mannequin-esque all-white dress by Balmain. Keeping it monochrome, Keke Palmer wore a deconstructed tuxedo bustier gown worn over trousers.
Crisp, pared-back white tailoring dominated the carpet. As well as Zendaya in Vuitton, we saw Kerry Washington in Jonathan Simakhi, and co-chair Lewis Hamilton representing with Black British designer Wales Bonner and Laura Harrier in a sheer sleeved, wide-leg take on suiting. Madonna wore an off-white satin suit by Haider Ackermann. Others, including Janelle Monae, Lupita Nyong’o, Tessa Thompson, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Andrew Scott, leaned into a dandy-esque texture, colour and silhouette display. Monae’s optical illusion look was a collaboration by Thom Browne and costume designer Paul Tazewell, who creates costumes for Broadway for the likes of Hamilton. Scott opted for a colour-clash combo of teal, mustard and red suiting by Italian fashion house Giulvia Heritage, inspired by the Harlem designer Dapper Dan. Opting for a more subdued look, Barry Keoghan went for a Beatles-loaded look by Valentino with a military-inspired jacket embroidered with flowers. Keoghan is set to play Ringo Starr in the upcoming biopic.
For others, heritage met haute couture, with nods to the 1920s Harlem Renaissance woven into their ensembles. Teyana Taylor embraced the era with a zoot-inspired suit and signature balloon-leg trousers, finished with feather Feodora, frock coat, and durag train. Also channelling the twenties was actor Sydney Sweeney in a sequin, fringe-adorned black dress by Miu Miu that seemed to step out of the Jazz Age. Pamela Anderson also got the jazzy memo with a sculpture sequin silver dress paired with a blunt bob and fringe. Model Gigi Hadid opted for a gilded gold halterneck with her victory roll hairstyle, giving a retro feel. Jenna Ortega went metallic but with a more avant-garde take; her Balmain-designed gown was a series of rulers crafted around her body to represent precision. Diana Ross returned to the Met Gala red carpet dazzling in a silver crystal-embellished gown and cape that trailed dramatically down the Met steps. Not to be outdone, Megan The Stallion went for a nearly identical look, complete with a train also. Lauryn Hill suited up in a double-breasted butter yellow ensemble with a padded train.
Trains weren’t the only accessory on the Met carpet; it was a detailed masterclass with fedoras, canes, brooches, and the extra flourishes guest added to dandy up their look. Jodie Turner-Smith wore a mixed fabric ensemble with a tailored oxblood leather coat, accessorised with a statement top hat. White Lotus actress Aimee Lou Wood wore floral embellished socks to complete her deconstructed tailoring ensemble. Giving tailoring a feminine twist, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie embellished her feathered Prabal Gurung dress with 3d ties. Demi Moore‘s dress was a giant neck tie, and Andre 3000 opted for a Burberry boiler suit, and a mini grand piano strapped to his back.
