Zendaya at The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style", wearing a stylish white suit and hat. bu Louis Vuitton. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

All eyes were on the red carpet when the Met Gala 2025 took place last night, as always, on the first Monday in May. Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour co-chaired the event, with LeBron James serving as honorary chair.

Met Gala Chair, Anna Wintour, Met Gala Co-Chair Colman Domingo and Met Gala Co-Chair Lewis Hamilton attend the 2025 Met Gala. (Photo by Theo Wargo/FilmMagic)

This was a star-studded fundraiser that celebrated the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring exhibition. The theme for this year was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” As described on the Met Museum’s website, this year’s show, a “nod to the exhibition’s focus on suiting and menswear,” examined the historical and cultural emergence of the Black Dandy, tracing the figure from 18th-century depictions to modern-day representations. The theme was inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.

A$AP Rocky attends the 2025 Met Gala. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

I spoke to stylist Micaela Erlanger over email. She dressed Lupita Nyong’o for the event, and I asked her why she thinks the Met Gala is the biggest fashion and media evening of the year. The Met Gala is fashion’s Super Bowl, she told me: the one night where the worlds of fashion, celebrity, and art converge at the highest level, with Anna Wintour at the helm and the Costume Institute’s annual exhibit as the foundation. “It’s not just about red-carpet glamour—it’s about cultural commentary and creative expression. The exclusivity, the themes, the anticipation, and the sheer spectacle of it all make it a media phenomenon unlike any other,” she says.

Herb Rhedrick, founder of Herbin Co., agrees and told me over email that this year’s theme is a monumental moment for Black artisans. “It places long-overdue recognition on our enduring influence in tailoring, craftsmanship and innovation that has shaped style across the globe,” he explains. Herb tells me that whether it’s the bold influence of hip-hop on luxury or the quiet elegance of generational Black style, their imprint has always been there. “The difference now is—it’s finally being named and honored. That visibility is powerful,” he adds.

Accessories are where the magic happens, as they can transform an outfit into an experience. Herb tells me that at an event like the Met Gala, these should never be an afterthought. Black artisans have long led the way in this kind of layered storytelling, he says, infusing fashion with cultural depth and authenticity. He emphasizes that true........

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