New York City — It’s the first Monday in May, and that means only one thing in the world of haute couture: the Met Gala, fashion’s most dazzling and scrutinized evening, has once again taken over Manhattan. This year’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” pivots its spotlight toward a distinctly sharp and historical lens — Black Dandyism, a stylistic and cultural movement long rooted in resistance, elegance, and identity.
At the core of the event is the launch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” The show offers a rare and refined exploration of how Black men have historically redefined the sharply dressed “dandy” archetype — once a European construct of polished servitude — into a bold expression of self-possession and rebellion.
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“Whether a dandy is subtle or spectacular,” said guest curator and Barnard professor Monica Miller, “we recognize and respect the deliberateness of the dress, the self-conscious display, the way in which this reach for perfection might seem frivolous, but can pose a challenge to… social and cultural hierarchies.”
Her acclaimed book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, served as the intellectual foundation for the exhibit. Miller traces how enslaved and colonized Black men, beginning in 18th-century Europe, embraced dandyism as a tool of survival, defiance, and transformation — an act that would echo through the Harlem Renaissance and into modern cultural expressions.
This year’s co-chairs included a high-wattage cast: Pharrell Williams (also Louis Vuitton’s creative director of menswear), A$AP Rocky, Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, and Formula One star Lewis Hamilton. Basketball legend LeBron James was slated as an honorary chair but bowed out following a knee injury, tweeting:
“Hate to miss an historical event!”
The host committee boasted trailblazers like Andre 3000, Simone Biles, Doechii, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Spike Lee, ensuring the red carpet would be more than a fashion spectacle — it would be a curated tableau of cultural commentary and pride.
Threads of Resistance
The Met’s homage arrives at a complex cultural moment. It’s been five years since the Black Lives Matter protests shook the foundations of many U.S. institutions, forcing them to reckon with their representation and inclusivity. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump’s recent political platform includes curbing diversity initiatives — a stark ideological contrast to the ethos of this year’s Met Gala.
“As an artist who was literally born and raised in the shadow of where the African diaspora expanded into the country that would become America,” said Williams, who hails from Virginia, “celebrating an exhibit centered on Black dandyism and the African diaspora is really, for me, a full circle moment.”
He added, “Not only did members of the Black diaspora survive the horrors of slavery, but we carried the music, the culture, the beauty and the universal language across an ocean and over a quadruple century.”
Fashion historian Robin Givhan underscored this significance in a recent essay:
“Black men have always been on guard. They had to be. Yet fashion was also a way of amplifying their voice when it was deliberately muted or readily ignored.”
A Tribute to Legends
As expected, the red carpet saw tributes to towering figures like the late André Leon Talley, Vogue’s first Black creative director, who once described fashion as “a cathedral of dreams.” His legacy hovered over the evening, not as nostalgia, but as a call to innovate and honor — precisely what this year’s dandy-inspired looks delivered.
Among the fashion moments dominating social media:
- A$AP Rocky arrived draped in an updated Regency-era cape, layered over a streetwear twist on a tuxedo.
- Colman Domingo, known for his bold red carpet choices, stunned in a gold-embellished, sharply tailored suit that nodded to Josephine Baker’s Parisian flair.
- Doechii wore a metallic corseted suit with flared trousers and a feathered train, drawing admiration for fusing gender-fluid tailoring with showgirl edge.
The Internet Weighs In
Instagram lit up with opinions:
@hausofjules: “This year’s Met is preaching through fabric. And Colman Domingo? Sermon delivered.”
@blackstylechronicles: “Black dandyism ain’t just fashion. It’s legacy. It’s armor. It’s power. #MetGala”
@trendninja: “Can we take a moment for Pharrell’s homage to Andre Leon Talley? That hat. That coat. That presence.”
@museumchic: “This is what happens when a theme has substance. Art. Politics. Elegance.”
Glamour, With Purpose
Though founded in 1948, the Met Gala only transformed into today’s global fashion behemoth under Anna Wintour in the 1990s. Today, it’s a $26 million fundraiser for the Costume Institute, with ticket prices reaching a jaw-dropping $75,000 per seat and $350,000 per table, according to The New York Times.
But this year’s gala was about more than opulence. It was about owning history — reweaving it into something new, defiant, and resplendent. Through Black dandyism, the Met Gala reminded the world that fashion is never just fabric. It’s identity, agency, and for many, revolution sewn into seams.
