Tyson Beckford’s 2025 Met Gala Look Honored His Boundary-Breaking ’90s Ralph Lauren Campaign: Exclusive Details

• Tyson Beckford returned to the Met Gala on Monday, May 5, for the first time in 12 years

• The supermodel wore a custom Ralph Lauren Purple Label look, honoring his iconic 1994 Polo Sport campaign, which launched his career and was a pivotal moment for representation in the fashion industry

• Beckford described his look as “dandy meets James Bond” in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, adding that reuniting with the Ralph Lauren team was “like being with family”

Tyson Beckford’s 2025 Met Gala look was a full-circle moment for the supermodel.

For fashion’s biggest night, Beckford, 54, teamed with the iconic American fashion label Ralph Lauren, looking super fine in a custom Purple Label double-breasted cream dinner jacket, tuxedo shirt, pants, bow tie and velvet slippers.

The intentional collaboration with Ralph Lauren the label honored Beckford’s boundary-breaking history with Ralph Lauren. Beckford’s iconic 1994 Polo Sport campaign not only launched his career, but was a pivotal moment that brought conversations about representation in the industry to the forefront.

In 1995, Beckford signed an exclusive contract with Ralph Lauren, putting him on the map as one of the most notable Black male supermodels — a milestone he is celebrating 30 years later with his Met Gala moment.

“For me, it was like being with family and understanding how you dress and knowing your sizes, knowing what looks good on you and always knowing that they got my back,” Beckford tells PEOPLE exclusively in an interview ahead of Monday’s event. “For me, it was a win-win. I just couldn’t think about going with anyone else.”

The star described his outfit as “a dandy meets James Bond,” adding, “as soon as the team showed it to me, I was like, ‘That’s it.’ They were like, ‘Really?’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ It’s that easy!”

Related: Met Gala 2025 Red Carpet Arrivals: See All the Looks (190+ Photos)

Below, read more from our one-on-one chat with one of fashion’s most influential faces.

How does this Ralph Lauren look make you feel?

Tyson Beckford: I don’t want to say I’m going to be the best dressed, but I think I’m probably going to be the most elegantly dressed. I didn’t want to go too crazy, and I didn’t want to do tails. I wanted to keep my look clean and very classy. And then I think 20, 30 years from now when they pull up my picture and they say, “This is what he wore,” I think someone else will be inspired by it and be able to say, “You know what? That was such a clean look, I’m going to bring it back.”

Maybe your son will wear it one day!

Beckford: I’m going to definitely put this in the closet and save it for him if he ever wants to borrow it. He’s 26. Yeah maybe he’d wear it to his wedding. Or my grandson one day. That’s where I’m at right now. Whenever I get a call to shoot something, my whole mind frame is all about legacy. It’s not about the money, now it’s all about legacy and what I leave behind.

And we have to talk a little bit about the accessories: What jewels are you rolling out on the red carpet?  

Beckford: I’m actually going to be wearing my own jewelry. I’m going to simply wear a simple Plain Jane Rolex, a simple small bracelet and my lucky diamond stud earrings that I’ve had since the start of my career. And then I’m wearing a gold necklace that was one of my first purchases ever. And you probably won’t see it because it’ll be hidden underneath, but it’s all sentimental jewelry.

Who are you most looking forward to connecting with at this year’s gala?

Beckford: I’m looking forward to seeing my old friend, Dapper Dan. He was one of my fashion icons growing up in the Bronx Harlem era, and he was always available for the kids on the block and he was an inspiration. We couldn’t afford anything that he was making, but he never made us feel like we didn’t matter. To be able to share this night with an icon and legend like him, it means a lot to me personally.

Why was this year’s Met theme extra meaningful to you?

Beckford: For me, if I would’ve sat this out, I would have been so upset. It would’ve been so heartbreaking for me to miss this. But it’s just that sometimes you feel like they might not remember you, they might forget. You’re not like, “Well, I’m all of that. They better call me.” I’m just so humbled and excited that I got the invite to come and I got the chance to shoot in the issue of the magazine and then be able to talk to you guys at PEOPLE. And also being able to get the Ralph Lauren people to dress me for this because this is a big deal.

Did you realize the significance of your 1994 Polo Sports Campaign at the time?

Beckford: I don’t think it was about trying to break boundaries because I didn’t know there were boundaries to be broken. I just figured, okay, I’m working, I got to pay the rent. I was just being a young New Yorker in the city, just feeling the vibe, catching a wave. The ’90s was such a fun era to be in because it was just, we were having so much fun and it was effortless. And then to find out that I was making history and becoming a supermodel — that was so far from who I was and what I was trying to do. I just wanted to make some money, pay the rent, and just be able to have a little breathing room.

Your Met moment left us wanting more! Would you ever recreate that campaign?

Beckford: People always say, “Oh, can we recreate it?” And I say, “Look, that’s such a masterpiece. I would rather not touch it.” I’ve gotten calls of people saying, “Oh, let’s you and Naomi [Campbell shoot again.” I was like, “No, that can never be touched.” If anyone else wants to go and try and redo it, that’s fine on them, but for us, I think we’re just fine where we are.

What advice would you give to 23-year-old Tyson shooting his first Polo Sport campaign?

Beckford: Remain humble, which I’ve always done, and just be leery of those who want to take advantage of you. I think I was too kind when I should have been not so kind to people who were around for whatever benefits they could gain by being friendly with me. You know? I had a lot of models come up to me, hang out with me just because they were like, oh yeah, maybe I can get some jobs from hanging out with this guy. There was a lot of that. And if I could just go back and cut those people out of my life, I would’ve saved myself a lot of stress and headache.

What do you think makes a great supermodel today?

Beckford: I think what makes a great supermodel today is making sure you get to the job on time. Don’t be a diva, be willing to try stuff. Don’t be like, “Oh, well I don’t wear that. Oh, I don’t do this.” Don’t be your own worst enemy. That’s what I would say, because a lot of times I went on set and I was just eager and willing to try it. I didn’t know what I was doing. I just did what I felt the clothes made me feel and the mood that I was getting and the vibe I was getting from the photographer.

Where do you think representation and diversity stand in the 2025 modeling world?

Beckford: I think the industry definitely needs some more growth with the color barrier. I’m starting to see more and more people of color in ad campaigns. I’m not just saying we need more Black models, we need more everything, Indian, Asian, every race because the consumer is from different races, so we can’t ever say, “Oh, well we’re just going to promote this.” Because if you look back through the years, we have made some achievements. We have made some advances as far as advertising and the people that you see in the advertising. You now have interracial couples in commercials, whereas we never had that before, 10, 20 years ago. And it’s the little steps that we’re taking to make everything better.

Catch all the biggest fashion updates from the 2025 Met Gala red carpet right here!

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

Read the original article on People