Superfine style: Our favourite black dandy looks from the 2025 Met Gala

Black history, culture and style were celebrated at the annual Met Gala on Monday, 5th May 2025. Despite the rainy weather, celebrities, fashion designers and artists impressed, each donning a unique, state-of-the-art outfit.

The theme, “Tailored for You,” drew inspiration from the Costume Institute’s accompanying exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” This exhibition highlights how Black individuals have historically used fashion, particularly suits, for self-expression, portraying the evolution of Black dandyism. The Met Gala's theme encouraged creativity and provided a stylistic framework.

Many attendees sported modern takes on zoot suits – the stylish, wide-shouldered suits popular with Black men in the 1940s. Designer Dapper Dan, in a CNN interview, noted these suits' significance during the Harlem Renaissance, a period when Black artists used fashion to reflect their identities, stating, “It’s when Black artists and creatives began to dress the way they felt.”

While the Met Gala 2025 theme marked a first-time focus on menswear, designers creatively applied suit aesthetics to both men's and women's attire.

Here are our top favourite looks from the 2025 MET Gala red carpet:

Rihanna

The award-winning artist and billionaire arrived last, revealing her baby bump and a "superfine"-themed Marc Jacobs ensemble featuring a wool jacket, fitted bodysuit, and sharp V-shaped skirt.

Janelle Monáe

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The singer and actress sported a layered look: a long, suit-printed jacket over a time-traveller-inspired black-and-red Thom Browne outfit, complete with a monocle and bowler hat. The inner outfit resembled a shirt tucked into a long skirt, topped with a blazer.

Lauryn Hill

The iconic rapper made her first Met Gala appearance in a sculptural pale-yellow suit with a matching train, customising her look with Ghanaian royalty-inspired jewellery by Emefa Cole, taking Black dandyism to a new level.

Dapper Dan

The fashion legend blended modern and historic Black style, referencing the Harlem Renaissance and the Ghanaian concept of “Sankofa” – learning from the past to progress.

Teyana Taylor

In a bold red Marc Jacobs outfit with a large pleated cape emblazoned with “Harlem Rose,” styled by Ruth E. Carter and inspired by her song, Taylor embodied a blooming rose, honouring her Harlem upbringing.

Lupita Nyong'o

The Oscar-winning actress wore a custom aquamarine lurex wool jacket with a satin collar, referencing Chanel’s autumn-winter 2015/16 haute couture collection, completed with an aquamarine hat and train.

A$AP Rocky

The rapper and Rihanna's husband wore a dapper, self-designed black suit from his label AWGE.

Doechii

Collaborating with Louis Vuitton's Pharrell Williams, Doechii's look was inspired by the book “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” a key influence on the Costume Institute exhibition.

Zendaya

Styled by Law Roach, the “Euphoria” actress channelled a 70s vibe in a customised white silk Louis Vuitton tuxedo with a single-button jacket, matching waistcoat, silk tie, soft felt hat, platform pumps, and wide-leg trousers.

Diana Ross

The legendary singer and actress made a spectacular last-minute return to the Met Gala after 2003, donning a dramatic “Forever Family” gown, its 18-foot, 60-pound train embellished with her five children's and eight grandchildren's names.

Colman Domingo

Coco Jones’ custom Manish Malhotra attire was a regal blend of structure and movement, featuring a floral appliqué-embroidered blazer flowing into a floor-sweeping train, described by Jones as "where fashion meets intention" in relation to the theme.

All images are courtesy of the Met Gala official Instagram page.