Why The 2025 Met Gala ‘‘Tailored For You’’ Is More Than a Dress Code
Religiously, every first Monday in May, the Met's steps become a runway — with some of fashion and entertainment’s hottest names — to make way for what is widely considered fashion's biggest night of the year, the Met Gala, where a curated exhibition awaits inside. But, this year’s Met Gala is more than an event, a dress code, an exposition.
The dress code ‘‘Tailored For You’’ might suggest something that screams individuality, something custom-made. It's not exactly untrue, but it also addresses other matters when considered alongside this year's exhibition.
Organized into 12 sections — each representing a characteristic that defines the style, such as Champion, Respectability, Heritage, Beauty, and Cosmopolitanism —, the exposition ‘‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,’’ inspired by Monica L. Miller's book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity will be bringing together clothes, paintings, photos and art pieces from the 18th century to present day, exploring the concept of Dandyism both as an aesthetic and as a movement for political and social change.
Dating back to the early 18th century in Europe, the term Dandy refers to a middle-class man, described as a social butterfly, who enjoyed fine cuisine, arts, and a extravagant lifestyle. It was only in the 20th century that Dandyism expanded as black servants and former slaves embraced the style as a form of resistance, addressing politics and history with a twist: plenty of the wearer’s charisma.
Whether it's Prince's purple suit, the campy style of Billy Porter or the sophisticated yet experimental style of A$AP Rocky, Dandyism is still here. And the Met exhibition has come at a very poignant time, with so many bigotries gaining ground in politics, to once again show resistance.
Because Dandyism is is more than just style — it is also identity. Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity author Monica L. Miller describes Black Dandyism to Vogue as “a strategy and a tool to rethink identity, to reimagine the self in a different context. To really push a boundary – especially during the time of enslavement, to really push a boundary on who and what counts as human, even.” This year's Met Gala, therefore, is about celebrating black creatives in fashion and exploring how style has helped and continues to help shape their identities.
