Details have finally been dished out regarding the Met Gala 2025, which is set to take place in May of next year at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
An event akin to a fashion fever dream, the A-lister spectacle will oversee celebrities from across the globe grace the iconic museum’s steps in what can only be described as couture cosplay. As always, the bash will be helmed by chair Anna Wintour, who has appointed an exciting new set of shots for next year’s stunning sartorial instalment.
Championing the theme of Black dandyism, the Met Gala 2025 is expected to transform the museum into a melting pot of creative genius, spanning couture creations hailing from the studios of black designers to eccentric historical references.
What is this year’s Met Gala theme?
The Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition has been announced as Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. The exhibition takes Black dandyism as its focal point, exploring how clothing and style have been crucial to shaping Black identities throughout the Atlantic diaspora. As the first Costume Institute showcase dedicated entirely to menswear since 2003’s Men in Skirts, the exhibition draws inspiration from co-curator Monica Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.
In her work, Miller positions Black dandyism as both an aesthetic and a political statement. The show will be organized around 12 defining traits of Black dandyism, a structure informed by Zora Neale Hurston's 1934 essay, The Characteristics of Negro Expression. Featured contemporary designers include Grace Wales Bonner, Pharrell Williams, and the late Virgil Abloh, each contributing to this dialogue on identity and fashion.
Dandyism is a cultural and stylistic movement that emphasises refined elegance, attention to detail, and an often flamboyant approach to fashion. Originating in 18th and 19th-century Europe, particularly in Britain and France, it was embodied by figures like Beau Brummell, who rejected aristocratic norms in favour of personal style as a statement of individuality. More than just about clothing, dandyism conveys self-expression, wit, and charm, often challenging social norms. In the context of Black dandyism, it becomes a political act, using fashion to assert dignity, defy stereotypes, and reframe identity within oppressive environments.
When is the Met Gala?
The Met Gala always takes place on the first Monday in May, which in 2025, falls on May 5. However, the exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style will run from May 10 to October 26 2025.
Who is hosting the Met Gala?
This year the co-chairs are Louis Vuitton creative director and musician Pharrell Williams, actor Colman Domingo, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, musician A$AP Rocky and Ms Vogue herself Anna Wintour. Famed basketball star Lebron James is also acting as honorary co-chair.
What was last year’s theme?
Last year, fashion followers witnessed swathes of Hollywood insiders grace the prestigious event in attire to suit the theme of Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. Zendaya transformed into a literal bouquet of flowers courtesy of Givenchy's SS96 couture collection, Adwoa Aboah showed off her baby bum in H&M, Sydney Sweeney traded in her buttercup-blonde bob for a jet-black option and Phoebe Dynevor made a statement in a sheer blush pink look with floral accents from Victoria Beckham.