All The Must-See Red Carpet Looks From The 2025 Met Gala

The biggest night in fashion is back! And this year it’s all about the threads — literally and figuratively.

The 2025 Met Gala, Vogue’s annual fashion extravaganza at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, takes place on the first Monday in May. Attendees on the star-studded guest list are traditionally tasked with wearing a themed ensemble.

This year’s theme is pretty fly: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”

If you’re confused by what that even means, don’t worry! We’ve got you fully covered like a three-piece suit.

The theme, as always, is linked to the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition at the Met. This year, the exhibit of the same name is inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.” The focus of this year’s fete is centered on “Black dandyism” and examines its history from the 18th century to the modern day.

According to Miller (who also serves as a curator for this year’s exhibit), a Black dandy is someone who “treats getting dressed as a discipline,” according to her book. “They are known for wearing bold expressions of tailored fashion and refined styles,” she writes.

She adds, “They are inspired by European, African and American origins (whether they know it or not) and they use their clothes and identity to control how they project themselves to the world and also to challenge stereotypes or limiting beliefs the world has placed on them (i.e., racism).”

In the simplest terms, think of a Black dandy as a Black person who uses high menswear fashion to challenge stereotypes about race, class and gender. Although dressing like this could be considered assimilation, the style is meant to be rebellious, eccentric and emblematic of self-possession. Think: W. E. B. Du Bois, Miles Davis — or even one of this year’s co-hosts, A$AP Rocky.

For nearly a decade, the rapper — who has given himself the nickname “Fashion Killa” — has consistently set menswear fashion trends by subverting them. A$AP Rocky even spoke recently about breaking gender norms by admitting that sometimes he steals and wears his partner Rihanna’s clothing.

“I want to represent, I want to be a catalyst for daring men,” he told the Vogue podcast “The Run-Through” last week. “I don’t know who drew the line between femininity or just being feminine and masculinity, excuse me. I don’t know who drew that line but I don’t see any barriers for me.”

He continued, “It’s not fair that, like, my girl can just go in my closet and can just take anything from it and wear it. That goes both ways. She has pieces she don’t know that I actually stole, you get what I’m saying? She does it to me all the time. Sometimes you just see her in an interview or a paparazzi photo like, ‘Wait, there goes my Miu Miu jacket!’”

The Met Gala’s embrace of the Black dandy theme is a step forward, considering Vogue has a history of not being inclusive of those who don’t fit squarely into Western European beauty standards.

Vogue has a history of not being inclusive of those who don’t fit squarely into Western European beauty standards. In 2020, after the death of George Floyd, Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour apologized about “publishing images or stories that have been hurtful or intolerant” towards the Black community.

But we suppose the iconic fashion magazine is now at least trying.

Wintour will also have a ton of help in pulling off this year’s theme. Co-hosts for this year’s event also include three other men who have consistently pushed boundaries with their fashion — musician and producer Pharrell Williams, actor Colman Domingo and British race car driver Lewis Hamilton.

This year’s gala will also revive “a tradition from years past” and will include a host committee, comprising people who also seem to be experts in the topic. They include musicians André 3000, Janelle Monáe and Usher, filmmaker Spike Lee, track and field OIympian Sha’Carri Richardson and Dapper Dan — a fashion designer known for introducing high fashion to hip-hop culture. NBA star LeBron James also served as a co-chair — but will not make it to the red carpet due to a knee injury.

So now that we’ve got the theme covered, you may be on pins and needles because “Black dandyism” seems like a theme that could easily get botched by more ignorant celebs.

Don’t worry too much — because there’s always the dress code.

This year, it’s simply “Tailored for You.” Vogue says the dress code is “a nod to the exhibition’s focus on menswear,” so expect form-fitting ensembles with pinstripe and crisp edges, and twists on suits and tuxedos.

But let’s cut to the chase. Even with all this information available about the theme and dress code, some celebs always seem to have trouble really pinning it down (we’re looking at you, Kardashian crew).

So, here at HuffPost we’ll make sure to cover the very worst, best and most befuddling looks from this year’s bash, which you can take a gander at below.

In conclusion: Happy first Monday of May to all who celebrate!