For most of my peers, the first Monday of May means those dreaded AP exams are right around the corner. For me, however, it means the most esteemed event in fashion has finally arrived: the day I get to judge what my favorite celebrities wore to the Met Gala.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute compiles an exhibit that displays rich and cultural fashion each year. Curated by Monica L. Miller, author of Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, this year’s exhibit centered around Black dandyism: an aesthetic movement born out of resistance, elegance and the need to be seen.
The Met Gala, less popularly known as the Costume Institute Benefit, showcases the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibit and serves as its main source of funding. This year’s theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, was chosen by co-chairs, who also publicise the event and help with the guest list.
From the 18th century to now, dandyism has represented the tension between appearance and expectation, especially for Black people, who navigate societies that often reduce identity to stereotype. Through sharp tailoring and audacious flair, Black individuals across history have used fashion as both a shield and a spotlight, embodied by many through the night’s dress code, “Tailored For You,” which encouraged guests to wear fitted suits, vibrant colors and dashing outfits.
Though the blue carpet was star-studded with exceptional outfits, no one better understood the theme than the co-chairs themselves.
Pharrell Williams, co-chair and new Louis Vuitton’s menswear creative director, arrived in a custom beaded Chanel suit that exuded classic dandyism. The blazer, made with 15,000 pearls, was a refreshing and stylish alternative to the plain, black-tie suits most guests sported.
Though my expectations for Lewis Hamilton, co-chair and Formula 1 driver, were fairly low, he did not disappoint. Hamilton wore “an ivory suit with a cropped jacket, high-waisted trousers with a tuxedo stripe, coattails, a white bow tie and an embroidered ivory sash,” according to Vogue. What set his look over the top was a beret by Stephen Jones Millinery, adding that certain dandy panache I adore. The outfit was a playful mix of different elements like cowrie shells and flower motifs that symbolized rich African culture and the Harlem Renaissance.
A$AP Rocky, American rapper and co-chair, did no less than what was expected of him—the unexpected. Like Hamilton, Rocky paid homage to Harlem, dressed in “a black suit with an oversized Marmot-inspired coat from his own brand, AWGE,” according to Vogue. What made this look perfect for Rocky wasn’t his heritage or his upbringing, but his confidence. With no prior knowledge of what a dandy is, one look at Rocky and his umbrella with a pistol-shaped handle would give you a crystal-clear understanding.
When actor and co-chair Colman Domingo is set to appear on a red carpet, it’s a given that he’ll show up and show out. Domingo wore a floor-length royal blue Valentino cloak, and a custom black-and-white Valentino suit with an oversized polka dot flower on the lapel, a tribute to the late Black designer André Leon Talley. If it hasn’t already been thoroughly expressed, no one does fashion like Domingo. In true dandy fashion, Domingo’s take on men’s fashion embraces bold and extravagant patterns speaks volumes without uttering a word.
But why does any of this matter?
Because the stories told through this theme don’t live only on the Met steps or in museum exhibits: they appear in our neighborhoods and on our streets. On the kids who wear their Air Force 1s with their church slacks. On the little girls who wear beaded braids that click-clack down the halls. In the unspoken understanding that how we dress is often the first story we tell about who we are and who we want to be.
Black dandyism isn’t just about being “extra.” It’s using style to challenge narratives and assert worth. It’s history worn boldly. And in a world that still discourages individuality, that’s revolutionary.
