The first Monday in May has finally arrived, and with it, the most iconic event in the global fashion calendar: the Met Gala. On May 5, 2025, the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City were transformed into a celestial catwalk, where stars, designers, cultural figures, and opinion leaders converged to celebrate fashion in all its forms—and this year, more than ever, in the form of a history that has been sidelined for too long: that of Black style.

Under the ambitious and visionary theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” the Costume Institute marked a historic milestone by dedicating, for the first time, an exhibition exclusively to designers of color. This powerful gesture doesn’t just honor an aesthetic; it celebrates resistance, reappropriation, and excellence. From Harlem to the avenues of Johannesburg, from London to Lagos, Black style—its boldness, its symbolism, its sharp tailoring—became the center of the narrative.

The evening’s dress code, “Tailored For You,” called on each guest to revisit the suit as an intimate statement. No longer simply a garment, but a manifesto. Thus, on the steps of the MET, a procession of sculpted silhouettes, sumptuous textiles, narrative embroideries, and heritage-signed accessories unfolded beneath the flashes of camerawork.

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Among the first to take the steps, the event’s co-chairs set the tone with elegance and panache: Pharrell Williams, current artistic director of Louis Vuitton Men, accompanied by actor and playwright Colman Domingo, pilot Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky, and the undeniable Anna Wintour. Special mention goes to LeBron James, fresh off the NBA playoffs, who joined the group as honorary co-chair. They all embodied the spirit of the theme with meticulously designed pieces, oscillating between haute couture and powerful messages about identity and history.

Louis Vuitton, co-sponsor of the evening alongside Instagram, Africa Fashion International, Tyler Perry, and Condé Nast, naturally shone with numerous outfits on the red carpet. Pharrell, like a true conductor, managed to distill his vision between revisited classicism and radical creativity. His choices resonated, particularly with the young stars in attendance, who seized the event as a platform for protest.

This Met Gala 2025 was also distinguished by the impressive diversity of its guests. Alongside the gala’s recurring stars, several emerging artists—whether from music, film, fashion, or activism—were honored with their first appearances. These new faces brought a breath of fresh air but also a renewed awareness of what luxury, style, and heritage mean today. Young African designers were in the spotlight, dressing some celebrities in textile works of art with multiple influences: hand-woven fabrics, Afrofuturist cuts, earthy embroidery inspired by ancestral motifs.

The most acclaimed pieces of the evening? A structured ivory silk dress worn by Zendaya, inspired by Congolese dandies of the 1970s, designed by the young Nigerian designer Tunde Akerele. A$AP Rocky, true to his image as a stylistic pioneer, sported a deconstructed suit with double reverse lapels, designed by a Caribbean collective still unknown to the general public. As for Lewis Hamilton, he showcased a sublime black linen look embroidered with Creole proverbs, paying homage to his origins and the philosophy of endurance.

But beyond the fabrics, it was the gazes, the postures, the clothed silences that conveyed something essential: the right to occupy space, to express oneself brilliantly, to celebrate one’s roots in the full light of day. The event, as every year, was covered live on social media and partner platforms, but the real spectacle was that of the bodies recounting a memory, a pride, a future.

Entering the MET, guests didn’t just join an evening. They joined a chapter. A new way of writing fashion where Africanness is no longer limited to exotic inspiration, but becomes the author, subject, and hero of its own story. A hand-sewn way of writing. Tailor-made. Tailored for them. Tailored for us.