Lewis Hamilton and A$AP Rocky are set to co-chair the 2025 Met Gala. (Images: Instagram)
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2025 Met Gala, Black dandyism—a cultural and cultural study of elegant clothing throughout the Atlantic diaspora—will be featured.
The most fashionable stars will gather at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for this special one-night event, which is scheduled to return on the first Monday in May 2025.The history-making theme for the 2025 Met Gala has been revealed by the Costume Institute, the organisation that hosts the ball.
The Met Gala’s theme this year is in line with the spring show at the Costume Institute, just like in years past. The Gala’s 2025 theme is ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.’
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s official announcement, the exhibition will offer “a cultural and historical exploration of the Black dandy,” tracing its origins from 18th-century Enlightenment Europe to modern-day interpretations in cities worldwide.
The gallery will delve into “the role of sartorial style in shaping Black identities across the Atlantic diaspora” through archival garments, art, film, and more.
The 2009 book ‘Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity’ by Monica L. Miller serves as the inspiration for this theme. The exhibition will be guest curated by Miller, who is now Chair and Professor of Africana Studies at Barnard College. This will be the first menswear show in 20 years (the previous was Braveheart: Men in Skirts” in 2003).
For more insights into the theme, check out the video featuring chief curator Andrew Bolton and Miller:
As you may recall from the turmoil around the 2024 Met Gala’s dress code, guests must adhere to a strict dress code that reflects the subject of the event. This meant dressing in ‘The Garden of Time’-inspired attire last year, when the exhibition’s name was ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.’
The Costume Institute’s recommended dress code for the 2025 Met Gala will not be made public until early in the following year, although the exhibition provides some indications. Miller’s book and, by extension, the exhibition centre around the idea of ‘dandyism.’
For those who don’t know, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, dandyism originally denoted a person—usually a man—who is extremely committed to fashion and views it as a profession. The word has a deeper meaning in the context of Black Americana, which is the exhibition’s main focus.
Who Will Co-Chair the Met Gala in 2025?
Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams—some of the most powerful and fashionable men in the world today—will co-chair the 2025 Met Gala. LeBron James, the NBA legend, will also be attending the event for the first time as an honorary co-chair.
In addition to assisting with event planning and coordination, these celebrities from the worlds of fashion, music, cinema, and sports will also be under pressure to interpret the dress code flawlessly. We’re excited to see their wardrobe selections since they all embody the diverse style of the contemporary Black male, whether they’re on the catwalk or sitting courtside.
When Is the Met Gala in 2025?
Since 1995, the Met Gala has been a mainstay of the fashion calendar, usually taking place on the first Monday in May. The glitzy occasion will happen on May 5, 2025. Because of time zone differences, readers in the Southern Hemisphere will be able to follow the red carpet arrivals starting in the morning on Tuesday, May 6.
