Met Gala Theme 2025: Significance and how it celebrates Black dandyism

The Met Gala is almost upon us, and this year’s theme has already sparked speculation over what the A-listers and the co-chair will wear on the red carpet. This year’s theme for the exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which will examine the historical and cultural emergence of the Black dandy.

The 2025 Met Gala takes place on Monday, May 5, at The Met Fifth Avenue, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall. Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour will co-chair the 2025 Met Gala, alongside honorary chair LeBron James.

What is Black dandyism and how will it be reinterpreted by the Met?

The theme of the Met Gala will explore the extraordinary stories of stylish Black individuals across art, literature, music, and society. It has been inspired by curator Monica Miller’s 2009 book, “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” the exhibition will present a cultural and historical examination of the Black dandy, from the figure’s emergence in Enlightenment Europe during the 18th century to today’s incarnations in cities around the world.

As per the Met, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style explores the importance of style to forming Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora, particularly in the United States and Europe.

Miller's exploration of Black dandyism delves into the diasporic metamorphosis of Black men who have historically used fashion as a means of reclaiming agency and crafting their identities against a backdrop of oppression and stereotype. The concept of dandyism marked by elegance, flamboyance, and a rejection of conventional masculinity, provides a framework for understanding how style can be both a personal expression and a political statement.

The history of Black dandyism is closely linked to the relationship between race, power, and representation. In the 18th and 19th centuries, both enslaved and free Black men in the West were often compelled to adopt the clothing styles of their oppressors. However, many transformed this forced fashion into a means of resistance, using their carefully curated attire to express dignity, intellect, and individuality.

As a guest curator, Miller investigates how Black dandyism has influenced identity, creativity, and cultural history. She notes that the Black dandy “reimagines the self in a different context” and “pushes boundaries—particularly during the era of enslavement, challenging the definitions of who is considered human.” The exhibition will also reference Zora Neale Hurston’s 1934 essay "Characteristics of Negro Expression."

The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO Max Hollein said , “The Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition will explore—with remarkable scale and breadth—the importance of sartorial style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora."

He continued, “Through a diverse range of media, this groundbreaking presentation will also celebrate the power of style as a democratic tool for rejecting stereotypes and accessing new possibilities.”

This marks the Costume Institute's first exhibition dedicated solely to menswear since 2003 and the first ever to focus exclusively on designers of colour, emerging at a crucial moment when discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion are particularly relevant.

The exhibition will showcase a diverse array of items, including garments, paintings, photographs, accessories, texts, and even films, ranging from the 18th century to the present. It will be divided into 12 sections, each exploring a unique facet of Black dandyism: Ownership, Presence, Distinction, Disguise, Freedom, Champion, Respectability, Jook, Heritage, Beauty, Cool, and Cosmopolitanism. Among the highlights are 19th-century livery worn by enslaved individuals, zoot suits from the 1940s, and contemporary works by designers such as Virgil Abloh, Pharrell Williams, and Grace Wales Bonner, among others.