"And Now, We’re Seen": Black Elegance, Power and Protest at the 2025 Met Gala

Written by: Lucy Dover

This year’s Met Gala theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, marks a defining moment for fashion. It is the first Costume Institute exhibition in over twenty years to focus exclusively on menswear, and it places Black creativity, identity, and resistance at its core. Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton described it as “the most important Met Gala there’s ever been.”

The exhibition takes its inspiration from Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, a ground-breaking book by Guest Curator Monica L. Miller. The concept of Black dandyism, once rooted in oppression, has evolved into a form of cultural pride and subversion.

Dandyism originally referred to elite European style, but during the transatlantic slave trade, it was repurposed to reflect power and control. In 18th-century England, Black servants were sometimes dressed in luxurious fabrics and forced to wear metallic collars and padlocks, turning their appearance into a display of their owners' wealth.

In America, enslaved people arrived with little or nothing. According to Miller, many clung to the few garments they had and used occasions like church or holidays to dress in their finest. These Sunday best outfits became quiet acts of resistance, offering moments to assert identity and personal style despite systemic dehumanization.

After Emancipation, Black Americans began to reclaim not just their autonomy but also their right to self-expression through clothing. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s became a turning point. Men wore wide-legged trousers, sharply tailored suits, fedora hats, and two-toned shoes. Women embraced glamour with furs, beads, and richly embellished dresses. Dressing boldly was a celebration of freedom and artistry.

Superfine pays tribute to this rich legacy. It reimagines menswear not as a static tradition but as a living form of storytelling, protest, and power.

Lewis Hamilton in Wales Bonner

Co-Chair Lewis Hamilton arrived at the 2025 Met Gala in an all-white Wales Bonner suit inspired by jazz legend Cab Calloway and the elegance of the Harlem Renaissance. The look was steeped in symbolism, drawing from Kamau Brathwaite’s Black and Blues, and layered with cultural detail: a white beret, crystal brooches, a fringed sash trimmed with shells and beads, and rhinestone-buckled patent shoes. 

Hamilton, the only Black driver in Formula One, a sport long dominated by whiteness, has spoken openly about how he once muted his personal style to fit in. Now, he embraces fashion as a form of pride and visibility. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “We’ve always been here. We’ve always been fly. And now, we’re seen.” His look was not just a tribute to the past, but a statement about presence, power, and being unapologetically visible.

Doechii in Louis Vuitton

Doechii made a striking Met Gala debut in a custom Louis Vuitton ensemble inspired by 90s rap and hip hop. Working directly with Louis Vuitton’s men's creative director Pharrell Williams, she crafted a look that fused luxury with cultural attitude. She wore a sharp monogrammed blazer with pleated checkerboard shorts, styled with a burgundy silk bow and matching socks. Chunky heels, a bold LV belt, and a powerful afro completed the look. With a cigar in hand, Doechii channelled the authority and pride of hip hop’s golden era, announcing her arrival with unapologetic style.

Doja Cat in Marc Jacobs

Doja Cat turned heads at the Met Gala in a sculptural Marc Jacobs creation inspired by the bold glamour of the 1980s. Her look featured a dramatic black pinstripe blazer fused with a yellow and black velvet bodice, shaped to exaggerate the hips and shoulders. Paired with sheer tights and towering platform heels, the outfit embraced excess and spectacle as tools of self-expression. Her high-stacked afro and sharp makeup echoed the aesthetics of Black dandyism, using fashion as performance and defiance. It was a powerful tribute to the way Black style reclaims space and commands attention.

Diana Ross in Ugo Mozie

Diana Ross made a breath-taking return to the Met Gala for the first time since 2003, wearing a custom creation by Nigerian designer Ugo Mozie. The legendary icon, now 81, was draped in a voluminous white gown topped with an 18-foot feathered cape that trailed behind her in dramatic fashion. Silver embroidery along the cape featured the names of her children and grandchildren, adding a deeply personal touch. Ross collaborated closely on the ensemble with her son, Evan Ross, and Mozie, merging generational love with African craftsmanship. A wide-brimmed feathered hat, shimmering embellishments, and her signature curls completed the look, reaffirming her status as a timeless fashion icon and celebrating Black legacy in every stitch.

Tessa Thompson in Prabal Gurung

Tessa Thompson arrived at the Met Gala in a striking ivory and black coat dress by Prabal Gurung, blending historical tailoring with a bold contemporary twist. The look featured exaggerated hips, sharp lapels, and dramatic ruffled sleeves, paired with platform boots and a sculpted top hat. She carried a fan printed with the image of the late André Leon Talley, the trailblazing fashion editor who championed Black talent and reshaped the industry with his vision and voice. His recent passing made the tribute especially poignant, honouring a figure who paved the way for nights like this.

Lauryn Hill in Tribe of God by Jude Dontoh

Music legend Lauryn Hill made a rare and unforgettable appearance at her first ever Met Gala, wearing a custom look by Ghanaian brand Tribe of God, designed by Jude Dontoh. She wore a tailored yellow coat with a dramatic sweeping train, styled with an afro, regal parasol, and a bold blue Hermès Kelly bag. The look combined softness with strength, channelling ancestral pride and high fashion with ease. Hill’s presence was both powerful and poetic, marking a historic moment for Black fashion and the global diaspora on one of fashion’s biggest stages.

Jeremy O’Harris in Balmain

Jeremy O’Harris brought layered historical depth to the Met Gala in a custom Balmain look inspired by 19th-century silhouettes. The navy tailcoat, gold buttons, and crisp white trousers evoked the elegance of the era while subverting its politics. His standout accessory was a one-of-a-kind ring by jeweller Benjamin Hawkins, featuring an enamelled portrait based on 19th-century caricatures of Black dandies. The image depicted O’Harris in period dress, wearing a silver collar and pearl earring, and referenced Frederick Douglass’s cane.

Teyana Taylor in Ruth E Carter

Teyana Taylor delivered one of the night’s most powerful looks in a custom design by Ruth E. Carter, the Oscar-winning costume designer known for her iconic work in Black Panther and decades of Black cinematic storytelling. Drawing from the Harlem Renaissance, the look paid tribute to the legacy of Black artistry and pride rooted in the very neighbourhood where Teyana was born. Draped in deep red pinstripes, feathers, and rich satin, she wore a dramatic cape embroidered with the words “Harlem Rose,” a nod to both her roots and her 2018 song “Rose in Harlem”. Every detail spoke to identity, power, and homegrown elegance.