MET GALA 2025 AND THE BLACK DANDY

May is here! And the first Monday is Met Gala Monday. Star-studded celebrities from fashion, sports, politics and the arts show off their glamorously themed attire for one of the most talked about nights in fashion. 

According to Vogue , "The Met Gala is a charity event and fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute." This event is Anna Wintour’s baby and this year’s co-chairs are Pharrell Williams, ASAP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton and Colmon Domingo with LeBron James serving as honorary chair.

Vogue will be livestreaming the Met Gala on Monday, May 5th and the undeniably timely theme is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. The theme is inspired by Dr. Monica L. Miller's book, "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity"

My read as we lead up to the Met Gala!

It’s undeniably timely because during a year when diversity commitments are being rolled back, fashion’s biggest nights will highlight the Black Dandy and its influence on style, culture and identity.

“If you think about where we are in the world—and particularly in the States, in terms of people pulling back on diversity—I think this Met Gala sends a really strong message that we must continue to celebrate and elevate Black history.” - Lewis Hamilton, Vogue

The theme is a specific nod to the Black Dandy, a historically known term for Black men who reclaimed their identity through fashion and style after enslavement. During the 20th century, a Black Dandy can be seen wearing a tailored suit typically with bold colors paired with a wooden cane for style, fedora hat or a pipe. As creative and expressive people, Black men displayed their self-respect through their style. This solidified the Black Dandy movement.

Dressed in dapper suits and colors that challenged the status quo for masculinity, Black men in the later 20th century continued to redefine what it meant to live by their own perceptions and not what society expected of them. It’s no denying a suit exudes power and Black men leveraged this as a way to demand respect. When you add bold colors, it shifts the boring suit to a style storytelling moment.

André Leon Talley looking dapper and dandy. (Source: Vogue Magazine)

Today Dandyism is worn by some of the best-dressed men and now women in the world. My fave modern day Black dandies include Prince, Erykah Badu and Janelle Monae. 

Dandyism can be described as sophisticated, sharp, and defining. It’s bold and certainly not meant to fit into a box. It’s rooted in using fashion as a tool to recreate your identity and be liberated.

What Black Dandyism mean to me?

The word Dandy is a British word, referring to a man who is excessively concerned about his clothes and appearance, or to something of exceptional quality. The inspiration for how freed men dress was influenced by slave owners. 

Dandyism today is Black elegance. In a way it’s revolutionary too. Dandyism doesn’t reflect where we’ve been, but foreshadows where we are going. It's polished. It’s confident. It’s powerful and defies the status quo. 

A few celebs I’m excited to see pull off their best Dandy look: Sterling K. Brown, Denzel Washington, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Usher, Andre 3000, Angela Basset and Courtney B. Vance, Naomi Campbell, Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union and who will style Zendaya this year.

(Source: The Met Museum)