This year’s Met Gala theme was a breath of fresh air after years of socially hollow ideas that, while beautiful, felt more like we were watching a livestream of ‘The Capitol’ than a charity gala.

The theme for the 2025 Gala was “Tailored for You“, dedicated to honouring the fashion narrative and history of the Black dandy.

Black dandyism, a style that has 18th century roots, was more than just bespoke tailoring and impeccable grooming. It was an act of identity, power and resistance through self expression, rejecting the rigid categories of race and class in a world of white supremacy and racial segregation.

Langston Hughes embodied the Black dandy style and philosophy within the Harlem Renaissance, an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American culture in 1920s New York. The polished suit, bow ties, canes and fur coats were more than fashion statements, they were a market of pride.

After decades of boring black tuxedos, this evening was a moment for menswear to shine and celebrate their individuality through fashion. However, the women unsurprisingly also delivered an abundance of ostentatious and spectacularly tailored ensembles that celebrated the contemporary genderlessness of dandyism.

As we watched at home from our sweatpants, the common critique that continued to reverberate around social media were the missing bold colours, which are characteristic of the Black dandy.

However, in Trump’s (reclaimed) America, celebrating Black history and beauty with every look, seam and ruffle remains more important than ever.

Here are some of our standout looks from last night.

Teyana Taylor in custom Ruth E. Carter

Doechii in Louis Vuitton

Diana Ross in Sxteen Eleven

Sha’Carri Richardso in Valentino by Alessandro Michele

Shaboozey in Robert Wun and David Yurman

Tessa Thompson in custom Prabal Gurung

Khaby Lame in BOSS

Alton Mason in Gaurav Gupta

Bad Bunny in Prada

Nicki Minaj in Thom Browne and Samer Halimeh

Alicia Keys in Moncler