What is the theme of the Met Gala 2025? Vogue releases a behind-the-scenes look from its upcoming May issue, celebrating the event

Met Gala 2025 will center on the theme "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," as revealed in Vogue’s May 2025 issue, which offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the event’s preparations. The theme celebrates Black Dandyism, exploring its historical roots and modern influence through fashion.

It is guest-curated by Monica Miller, a Barnard College Africana Studies professor, and Andrew Bolton of the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute. The accompanying exhibition marks the institute’s first men’s wear-focused show since 2003 and its first to exclusively feature designers of color.

Vogue’s May issue, titled Star-Studded and Superfine: The Making of the May Issue, spotlights the Met Gala 2025 co-chairs, including Colman Domingo, Janelle Monáe, Lakeith Stanfield, and Yseult.

The magazine’s suiting portfolio, photographed by Tyler Mitchell, showcases Black talent across industries, emphasizing individuality and elegance tied to dandyism. Domingo describes the issue as a “historic moment” for Vogue, while stylist Law Roach notes the collaborative effort reflects a “bigger than us” cultural statement amid current social tensions.

The Met Gala 2025 exhibition draws inspiration from Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. It examines how Black communities have used fashion as a tool of liberation, tracing influences from the Harlem Renaissance to contemporary runway designs.

The Costume Institute’s shift toward inclusivity began in 2020, with Bolton prioritizing acquisitions from designers of color and rebalancing the museum’s archival representation.

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Behind the seams: Curating Black dandyism’s legacy at Met Gala 2025

The “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition, opening alongside the Met Gala 2025, features over 70 designs spanning three centuries. Highlights include pieces from Black designers like Olivier Rousteing (Balmain) and Ozwald Boateng, alongside historical garments from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Miller emphasizes the show’s goal to “understand how many Black designers, historically and contemporarily, are out there,” referencing underrecognized contributions to tailoring. The Met’s archival efforts since 2020 have added works by Patrick Kelly, Stephen Burrows, and Wales Bonner, bridging gaps in its collection.

Bolton notes the challenge of acquiring historical Black-designed pieces due to systemic erasure, but highlights partnerships with contemporary designers to recreate iconic styles. For example, a 1920s zoot suit-inspired ensemble by Harlem designer F.E. Charlton will debut alongside a modern reinterpretation by A$AP Rocky’s go-to tailor, Matthew Henson.

Vogue’s coverage extends beyond the gala, with profiles on artists like Henry Taylor, who painted Pharrell Williams for the issue, and Lewis Hamilton, styled in dandy-esque looks by Ib Kamara. The portfolio also nods to André Leon Talley’s influence, featuring archival images of his signature capes juxtaposed with new designs by Kerby Jean-Raymond (Pyer Moss).

Met Gala 2025 co-chairs will embody the theme on the red carpet, with Monáe hinting at a “structured yet surreal” ensemble and Stanfield collaborating with Roach on a suit blending Victorian details with streetwear.

As the first Monday in May approaches, the Met Gala 2025 underscores a pivotal moment for institutional recognition of Black creativity. With its dual focus on historical scholarship and contemporary innovation, the exhibition and gala aim to cement Black Dandyism’s legacy as a cornerstone of global fashion, one stitch at a time.