It’s spring, which means that The Metropolitan Museum of Art is open for a ball.
The Met Gala 2025 red carpet will roll out on Monday, May 5, with the annual event once again helmed by Vogue’s Anna Wintour and benefitting the NYC museum’s Costume Institute.
This year’s theme, entitled “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” will pay homage to black dandyism and “[explore] the importance of clothing and style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora,” per the Met.
While 2024’s exhibition and theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” was a heady concept that played with the idea of luxury preserved and lost, this year will be a masterclass in history, impeccable taste, quality and precision.
But what is a dandy? And what can fashion fans expect to see from A-list stars on the red carpet? Below, read all about the dress code and everything to know about the gala.
What is the Met Gala 2025 theme?
This year’s theme and coordinating museum exhibition is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” and will honor black dandyism through the years.
The term “dandy” dates back to the 18th century and refers to a style that indicates wealth, taste and the intersection of African and European style traditions, per the Met. It embraces theatricality, risk-taking and exuberant freedom of expression.
Drawing inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,“ the exhibition is organized into 12 sections, each representing a characteristic that defines dandy style, according to Vogue.
Miller is serving alongside head curator Andrew Bolton as a guest curator for the show, which will display garments, paintings, photographs and more visual works from artists including Torkwase Dyson, Tanda Francis, André Grenard Matswa and Tyler Mitchell “all exploring the indelible style of Black dandies, from the 18th century through to the present day.”
The 12 sections of the exhibition are: Ownership, Presence, Distinction, Disguise, Freedom, Champion, Respectability, Jook, Heritage, Beauty, Cool and Cosmopolitanism. Jook is defined in Zora Neale Hustron’s “Characteristics of Negro Expression” as “a space for dancing, drinking and other leisure activities.”
It’s the first time that menswear has been the sole focus for a Met Gala since 2003’s “Men in Skirts.”
“I feel that the show itself marks a really important step in our commitment to diversifying our exhibitions and collections, as well as redressing some of the historical biases within our curatorial practice,” said Bolton when the theme was revealed. “It’s very much about making fashion at The Met more of a gateway to access and inclusivity.”
What is the dress code?
As a complement to the theme, Wintour always imposes a dress code that helps guide her guests and give more context. While guests are always required to wear white tie, this year she’s chosen “Tailored for You,” a direct reference to the theme.
We can expect guests to be sharply suited in impeccably fitted clothing, be that a suit or gown — or some combo of the two.
Who’s hosting?
A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton and Pharrell Williams have been chose to co-chair the event alongside Anna Wintour. LeBron James will serve as an honorary co-chair.
They’re all men who aren’t afraid to take risks with their self-presentation. They take advantage of classic forms, but they also remix them and break them down in really new ways,” Bolton said of the hosts. “I think Black men and Black designers are very much at the forefront of this new renaissance in menswear.”
Louis Vuitton, the French fashion house which Williams serves as creative director, will serve as the sponsor for the event alongside Instagram.
Who will be attending?
Reviving a past tradition, the 2025 gala includes a host committee, who have presumably advised on the event and will be in attendance.
The committee includes Doechii, Usher, Tyla, Angel Reese, André 3000, Dapper Dan, Ayo Edebiri, Janelle Monáe, Jeremy Pope, Sha’Carri Richardson and more.
Page Six has also exclusively reported that Rachel Zegler, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Lizzo, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Dianna Ross, Walton Goggins and more will attend.
Blake Lively and Gisele Bündchen, two longtime Met Gala fixtures, will reportedly be skipping the soirée.
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