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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Leeds chapter.

Everybody get down on your knees and say ‘thank you’ for all things fashion.

Vogue. That’s fashion baby. And the Met Gala is the yearly declaration and heaven of all things fashion. In 2025, this sacred event will be taking place on May 5th, with it following the regular structure of being the first Monday of May. If anybody was wondering about my plans for May 5th 2025 (pretend that you were), I’ll be wearing my prettiest outfit (subjective according to my sister), sitting in bed and scrolling through TikTok waiting to dissect and analyse all outfits (not claiming to be a fashion guru by the way).

The Theme

‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’ is the theme for the Met Gala 2025. This is based on The Costume Institute’s Spring 2025 Exhibition. Its initial inspiration was drawn from Monica L.  Miller’s book focusing on Black Dandyism: Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. She will also be the guest curator of the Met Gala. The dress code has not yet been revealed, but Black Dandyism is such an interesting and exciting theme, and so the opportunities are endless. Personally, I’m buzzing. 

This is also the first menswear theme since 2003, with the “Men in Skirts” theme (if only I was born a year earlier so I could have sensed that iconicness). And it is also the first exhibition and theme to revolve around race, with the focus on Black Dandyism. 

Perhaps the presence of a menswear theme can be correlated with the co-chairs being all male, with the exception of Anna Wintour (fashion president). The co-chairs are Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and LeBron James as the honorary chair. 

Although this decision brought about some controversy online due to the significant lack of female chairs, I think the attention to race and history is particularly striking, and the focus on Black Dandyism expands the diversity and cultural awareness of the Met Gala and Vogue. 

Black Dandyism 

For those who have not been introduced to the concept of “Black Dandyism”, Andre Leon Talley was the editor at large of Vogue magazine from 1998-2013 and was the first male African American creative director. In his time as editor, he worked to capture the vision of the Black Dandy and therefore this theme could be seen as a tribute to him and his everlasting impact on the fashion world.

In terms of the word ‘dandy’ itself, it can be defined as middle class men who particularly enjoy the arts and all things to do with socialising. This originated in the 18th century. In the 20th century, it developed further when Black servants dressed like ‘dandies’, as part of colonialist attempts to promote western culture above all else. 

In the modern day we can see incredible examples of this style being drawn upon in high fashion. For example, let’s all take a moment of silence to appreciate Pharrell Williams’ incredible Louis Vuitton collections that emphasises the Black Dandy style.

The 2025 Met Gala theme is undeniably rooted in race and politics. We love to see representation of different races and cultures and we love to celebrate that. Arguably this is the most iconic theme curated by the Met Gala yet. 

Now let’s wait and see what the fashion world and Hollywood bring to us this Spring. 

Written by: Momnah Shahnaz

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Hi! I’m Momnah, an ancient history and English literature student at University of Leeds!! I love all things to do with reading, writing & film.