The world's biggest fashion event opened Monday evening in New York under rainy skies, but without losing any of its brilliance. The Met Gala 2025, held under the theme Tailored for You, transformed the famous steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art into a vibrant tribute to Black dandyism through bold creations and finely cut silhouettes.
Among the first to walk the red carpet, Emma Chamberlain and Zuri Hall interpreted the theme in their own way with long striped dresses reminiscent of men's suits. These outfits were both sensual and structured, illustrating the desire of many women to appropriate the codes of menswear while maintaining a resolutely feminine elegance. "This will be a recurring motif tonight," predicted William Dingle, style director at BlackMenswear, an agency dedicated to promoting Black fashion.
Teyana Taylor made a splash with a flamboyant take on the 1940s zoot suit, reimagined with a towering red hat adorned with feathers and a matching cape covered in flowers and jewels. Colman Domingo, one of the evening's co-hosts, opted for a gold pleated coat over a black and gray beaded check suit, paying homage to André Leon Talley, an iconic figure in African-American fashion. Anna Wintour appeared alongside her in a pastel blue ensemble over a shimmering white gown.
Lewis Hamilton dared to wear an ivory tuxedo with a short jacket and beret, while Pharrell Williams, co-presenter and artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear, wore a double-breasted jacket adorned with 15,000 pearls, which his team said took 400 hours to assemble. He was accompanied by his wife Helen Lasichanh, who wore a black leotard and matching blazer.
The theme of the evening pays homage to the book Slaves to Fashion by Monica L. Miller, also co-curator of the museum's spring exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black StyleThe event explores Black fashion through twelve themes drawn from a 1934 essay by Zora Neale Hurston, such as appropriation, freedom, distinction, and heritage. Miller herself arrived wearing a beaded cape over a dress decorated with cowrie shells, a direct link to a key piece in the exhibition.
The gala can be streamed live on Vogue.com, YouTube, Peacock, E!, and social media. Teyana Taylor, La La Anthony, and Ego Nwodim are hosting the official stream, while Emma Chamberlain is hosting the red carpet interviews. The Associated Press is also broadcasting the celebrity departures from The Mark Hotel, followed by a tape-delayed red carpet broadcast starting at 18:30 p.m. ET.
The evening brought together 450 guests from the worlds of fashion, art, sports, tech, and literature. In addition to co-hosts Domingo, Hamilton, Williams, and A$AP Rocky, a host of personalities such as Simone Biles, Spike Lee, Usher, Janelle Monáe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Dapper Dan were expected. For Pharrell Williams, the diversity of the profiles present is essential: "We have to invest in each other. We have to connect."
This 2025 edition has already broken a fundraising record, with more than $31 million raised for the Met's Costume Institute, a record never before reached, according to Max Hollein, director of the museum.
