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Tems is never afraid to serve an unforgettable look.
Whether she’s traveling the globe on tour, stepping out at her first Oscars, or taking home Grammy Awards, she always selects an ensemble that tells a deeper story. For the 2025 Met Gala—themed “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”—the Nigerian singer and songwriter was one of 14 muses that were dressed by British-Ghanian fashion designer Ozwald Boateng.
“Black dandyism to me is Black excellence. I wanted to express this theme in a way that was true to me and paying homage to my West African roots and going all in with the details,” Tems tells Harper’s Bazaar of her Met Gala look. “Dandyism is all about having audacity—it’s having confidence in who you are and standing out—and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do today.”
The dramatic dress Tems wore was constructed of a printed peacock blue fabric (that almost perfectly matched the gala’s themed carpet for the night) complete with pinstripe sleeves, a mermaid style hem, and a green voluminous front bow. The singer wore her hair (styled by Ashanti Lation) in a slicked-back, braided updo with a few tendrils resting in dainty kiss curls on her forehead and accessorized with a matching bow (constructed of silk bow ties!) adorned to the back of her head. She even had a matching umbrella to help combat the relentless rain that drizzled on and off throughout the evening.
“I feel like this was the perfect union. [Ozwald Boateng is] the perfect person that I could collaborate with and I can’t think of anyone else that I would rather go with to the Met. He defines everything that Black excellence is to me,” she shares. “We ended up doing a blend of Black dandyism with a feminine touch that’s also a little bit gangster! It’s a medley. At the end of the day I am a woman and that’s where the cuteness and the sexiness comes in.”
Tems is also, of course, known for her signature glam. Makeup artist Kayla Perez used Anastasia Beverly Hills products to give the singer subtle shimmery smokey eyes, a show-stopping glow, and perfectly lined wine-hued lips. A major manicure moment was also a non-negotiable for Met Gala Monday and the singer sported a fresh pale green embellished set to match her custom gown. Tems specifically took inspiration from the gold and green hues from her outfit’s bowtie detailings for her makeup that night and described her beat as “a green sultry eye” that’s “soft but fierce.”
Amid all the chaos that precedes the famed steps, Tems hasn’t lost sight of the magnitude of meaning behind this year’s Met Gala.
“This is Ozwald’s first ballgown or gown in any way shape or form—he’s a menswear designer mostly and Black dandyism is very much him. This moment is really, really special,” she says. “I’m honored to be the first woman he’s doing a gown for and I don’t think I’ll ever forget this day.”
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