When Usher landed in New York at 3 p.m. yesterday, the city was already buzzing with anticipation for one of fashion’s biggest nights. On Sunday evening, he had performed in Berlin—the penultimate stop on his Past Present Future tour—then immediately boarded a transatlantic flight on which he caught only a few hours of sleep before arriving stateside. The draw? The 2025 Met Gala, for which he was serving as not only as a guest but also a member of the host committee. The gala’s accompanying exhibition—“Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through October 26—honors three centuries of Black sartorial expression and identity through the lens of dandyism. For Usher, this moment was more than just another red carpet—it was a tribute to heritage, identity, and a history too often sidelined.
Within the African diaspora, fashion has been both a language of resistance and a mode of self-definition. Across centuries of systemic oppression and displacement, Black communities used dress as a tool to reclaim agency, assert dignity, and imagine new modes of belonging. Dandyism in particular complicates traditional ideas of class and gender by emphasizing personal flair, subversion, and intentional visibility. To be “superfine”—a term that once referred to the highest quality wool—is also, as guest curator Monica L. Miller puts it, “to feel especially good in one’s body, in clothes that express the self.” It is, in short, a political act.
Usher saw that clearly. “The offer to be a part of the curating and hosting committee was how it really started for me,” he says, reflecting on his involvement. “After understanding what this year’s focus was, it became more significant than just showing up to look nice in pretty clothes and walk down the red carpet. It was an opportunity to support an institute that has curated an incredible installation—one that tells the story of dandyism outside of just tailored suits and accessories.”
For his look, Usher chose to wear custom Ralph Lauren Purple Label designed in collaboration with Polo Ralph Lauren creative director James Jeter. “I’ve seen [his work] with HBCUs, and I felt he understood what I was going after,” says Usher, referencing the capsule collections Jeter previously created for Morehouse and Spelman colleges. (Pieces from these capsules appear in the exhibition.)
Together, they created a look that blends eras and sensibilities: touches of Harlem Renaissance elegance, the refined rebellion of Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway, André 3000’s bold approach to color, and a Southern-rooted polish inspired by HBCU style. His grandfather James Lackey was also on his mind. “He was the king of the three-piece suit,” Usher shares.
“[I paid attention to] every detail, down to each button, every cuff link. I obviously tailored it to 100 percent fit and suit my vibe,” he continues, referring to the look. “There are subtle details that I felt were very important, like wearing a pocket chain in my ticket pocket and choosing to go with a very powerful and strong loafer.”
The aesthetic referenced his heroes—figures like Miles Davis, Prince, Sidney Poitier, and Billy Dee Williams—men who embodied style as a form of identity and defiance. “Dandyism is about confidence and transformation and how you choose to posture in these clothes,” Usher says. “It scratches only the surface of the Black American journey, but it speaks to this idea of escapism through fashion and that internal longing for grandeur and recognition.”
That through-line extends into Usher’s performance wardrobe as well, which has been a vehicle for pushing boundaries and embracing the full spectrum of dandyism in a modern context. His tour costumes—silks, leather, latex, crystal embellishments—are bold declarations of sensuality, confidence, and spectacle. “The purpose and point of Past Present Future is to play with ideas that would take us out of the same mind frame of when the songs were created and to use imagination and a bit of escapism and just kind of be daring,” he says. “There’s definitely dandyism here.”
As he prepares to walk the carpet, Usher reflects on what he hopes audiences take away from the Superfine exhibition: “Inspiration, most importantly, and history,” he says. “The same way that we know from looking at the hieroglyphs that someone came and did something that was significant … it’s the same with a wardrobe and with a needle and thread. It’s history.”
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