The best looks at the 2025 Met Gala celebrated unabashed self-expression and style as seen through the lens of the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” The purposefully vague dress code, “tailored for you,” alluded to classic menswear silhouettes while offering visitors the chance to play and experiment, and our favorite celebrities took the bait. Play is, after all, at the core of the Black dandy’s sartorial ethos—style used as a means to communicate, stand out, survive, thrive, and dress with unapologetic flair.
The Met Gala is never short on flair, but this year’s theme offered guests the opportunity to be a little more clever and a little less on the nose, to forego costume and camp (the theme a few years ago) and dress in ways that paid intelligent homage to the stars of Black dandyism, like the late, great editor André Leon Talley, the designer Ozwald Boateng, and sociologist and activist W.E.B. Du Bois. The best-dressed this time around honored the theme and honed in on the art of tailoring, but they also paid respect. There was no famine of beauty at this year’s Met Gala, and below, these are the stars who proved it.
Diana Ross in Ugo Mozie
Diana Ross has not attending a Met Gala since 2003, and her long-awaited return did not disappoint—this look is quintessentially her. The heavily-embellished sequined dress with the exaggerated matching train felt like one of her stage looks, but turbo charged. The outfit was a collaboration between her, her son Evan Ross, and the Nigerian designer Ugo Mozie, and in a sweet personal touch, it had her children’s names delicately embroidered on it.
Zendaya in custom Louis Vuitton
Zendaya has never missed on a Met Gala red carpet and tonight was no exception. Styled by her longtime collaborator Law Roach, her exceptionally tailored custom Louis Vuitton play on a Zoot suit in ivory was such a smart take on dandyism. Fun fact: It was inspired by Diana Ross’s 1975 film Mahogany, and she serendipitously followed Ms. Ross on the red carpet.
Doechii in Louis Vuitton
This is how you do your first Met Gala. Doechii’s custom Louis Vuitton short suit and mini Louis bag are exactly what we’ve come to expect from her—boundary-pushing choices from a woman who truly knows and loves fashion. Her afro also sends a powerful message, but we’re not surprised: She always does what others wouldn’t dare to do.
Jennie in Chanel
Jennie’s custom Chanel look was an elegant take on the night’s theme, “tailored for you.” The black leather and satin strapless jumpsuit was adorned with pearled cabochon buttons and perfectly punctuated with two strings of pearls and Chanel’s signature white camellia. The best detail: The playful split down the middle of her overskirt, which revealed a skinny cropped pant as she glided up the red carpet
Gigi Hadid in custom Miu Miu
Gigi Hadid stunned in a custom Miu Miu halter-neck gown in gold velvet. Draped to perfection at the hips and embellished with gold and crystal embroidery, it paid homage to two Black women who changed fashion forever: the designer Zelda Wynn Valdez and the iconic singer, dancer, and actor Josephine Baker.
Hunter Schafer in Prada
Hunter Schafer’s monochromatic black and white ensemble by Prada could be dismissed as a safe choice—but if you look a little closer, the details are impeccable. The combination of the white roll-neck, button-down shirt, beret, and crossover jacket, with black blazer perched on top of her shoulders, is exceptionally executed and just so eternally chic.
Dua Lipa in Chanel
Dua Lipa’s custom Chanel dress was a master class in opulence and craftsmanship. The look centered on a diamond-shaped corset of pearls and crystals layered beneath a black sequin tweed jacket embroidered with more pearls, crystals, and jewels. A black feather peplum and a flowing chiffon bow add a touch of dramatic femininity, while a black organza cape, dusted with feathers and crystals, adds drama. All told, the look was adorned with a whopping 45,000 pieces of intricate embroidery—giving us the kind of over-the-top glamour we want from the Met Gala.
Sofia Richie Grainge in custom Tommy Hilfiger
Sofia Richie Grainge gave us minimalism in the front and a party in the back in a gown inspired by the timeless appeal of a white tuxedo. Her Tommy Hilfiger creation looked luxuriously simple from the front—just a sweep of white with a high neck—but had an open back anchored by an enormous cream bow.
Bad Bunny in Prada
Bad Bunny fused together this year’s Met Gala theme with his own heritage. He was particularly inspired by Afro-Caribbean culture, and his dark-brown suit embellished with 600 yellow crystals, yellow-and-brown bowling bag, and Puerto Rican jíbaro hat, all courtesy of Prada, offered a combination of textures that he made wholly his own.
Monica Barbaro in Dior
Monica Barbaro looked beyond elegant in an ivory Dior silk Bar jacket with a nipped waist, paired with a circle black tulle skirt. The look, reminiscent of Dior’s iconic New Look, was finished with classic elements: a black silk tie, leather gloves, pumps, and a white boater hat with a black silk ribbon. A Bulgari diamond Monete broach on her lapel added the final touch. Her ensemble perfectly aligned with the evening’s theme, “tailored for you.”
Rihanna in Marc Jacobs
Rihanna always think of the most stylish ways to announce her pregnancies. Her custom Marc Jacobs look with corseted cummerbund is a sure sign of the fashion-forward maternity looks we can expect until Baby #3 comes along.
Kendall Jenner in Torisheju
Kendall Jenner’s timeless gray suit with fishtail skirt and standout Chopard necklace was a beautiful choice for the theme. Jenner and her stylist mined Harlem Renaissance icons like Gladys Bentley and the glamour of 1920s Black women for inspiration, and her choice to support Torisheju, an exciting emerging design talent and woman of color, was a stylish move with an important message.
FKA Twigs in Grace Wales Bonner
FKA Twigs turned heads in a beautiful custom Grace Wales Bonner gown—a transparent beaded masterpiece accented with feathers. Inspired by Black dandyism and the glamour of Josephine Baker, the look channeled 1920s elegance through a modern lens, paying tribute to the “tailored for you” theme with refined detail and subtle drama.
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