Tailored for Greatness: Inside the Met Gala’s History and 2025’s Celebration of Black Style
Whether you think of it as a celebrity best-dressed popularity contest or an exposition of artistic fashion moments, there's no denying the Met Gala has a chokehold on us all.
Condé Nast reported that in 2024, the Met Gala livestream had 74 million views across its owned platforms and 2.1 billion total video views in the first seven days across all Met Gala content. A chokehold.
As I continue to explore my own relationship with fashion and learn more about the fashion world, I’ve grown increasingly interested in what the Met Gala stands for—defining its cultural relevance for myself and understanding its impact both as a fundraiser and as a showcase of design and artistic statements. So in this blog, we’ll explore what the Met Gala is, its history as a fundraiser, and the importance of this year’s theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
The Met
If you’ve ever wondered where the Met Gala takes place, well—the answer’s in the name. It’s held at The Met, formally known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a cornerstone of New York’s Upper East Side. The Met houses over 5,000 years of art from around the world and, since its founding in 1870, has been committed to collecting, studying, and preserving significant works of art across time and cultures.
The Costume Institute
The Costume Institute began as the Museum of Costume Art, an independent institution formed in 1937 and led by Neighborhood Playhouse founder Irene Lewisohn. In 1946, it merged with The Met thanks to financial backing from the fashion industry, becoming The Costume Institute—and, by 1959, an official curatorial department of the museum.
I’ve had the chance to visit the Met a few times, and every time I found myself wondering where the hell is the Costume Institute and how do I get to see those iconic exhibitions from the Gala? I’m slightly ashamed to admit that it wasn’t until recently (while doing research for this blog recent) that I discovered the Costume Institute collection isn’t open to the general public. It’s available by appointment only to scholars, grad students, doctoral candidates, and designers in relevant fields. Guess little ol’ me doesn’t count—no matter how many times I call myself a designer for cropping my shirts with kitchen shears.
The Costume Institute 🤝 The Met = The Met Gala
The Met Gala is one of the most prestigious and publicized fashion events in the world, but at its core, it’s the Costume Institute’s primary fundraising event. It’s not just a party (though it’s definitely one I want to be invited to)—it’s a moment where fashion, art, pop culture, and celebrity converge.
Originally held at venues like the Waldorf Astoria and Central Park, the Gala cemented its cultural status when Anna Wintour (Editor-in-Chief of Vogue) began chairing the event in 1995. (I always find it interesting how all the cool stuff happened the year I was born… 🤷♂️)
Alongside Anna Wintour, a rotating set of co-chairs is selected each year to help fundraise, host, and set the tone for the event. This year’s co-chairs include Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo, and Lewis Hamilton, with LeBron James serving as honorary co-chair.
The Gala coincides with the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual exhibition, which also sets the theme and dress code. What we’ve come to know and love most—the red carpet—is a performance space in and of itself, where guests interpret each year’s curated theme through symbolic, statement-making looks, often in collaboration with the world’s top designers.
Past Themes Have Included:
Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination (2018)
Camp: Notes on Fashion (2019)
In America: A Lexicon of Fashion (2021)
Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty (2023)
Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion (2024)
This Year’s Theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”
Each year, the Costume Institute creates its exhibitions through deep research, curatorial vision, and collaboration. Led by Curator in Charge Andrew Bolton, the team explores fashion history, cultural shifts, and emerging talent to define timely and thought-provoking themes.
This year’s exhibition—Superfine: Tailoring Black Style—is particularly meaningful. Inspired by Monica L. Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion, it pays tribute to Black dandyism and its role in shaping identity, culture, and fashion across the Black diaspora. It marks the first time the Met has centered an exhibition entirely on Black designers and Black culture—and the first menswear-focused show since 2003. Iconic.
In the context of our current political and cultural moment, the theme feels especially resonant. The late André Leon Talley—fashion pioneer and former Vogue creative director—served as the catalyst for the exhibition, reminding us of the vital legacy of Black style leadership in the industry.
Curated by Bolton and guest curator Monica L. Miller, the exhibit traces the evolution of Black dandyism from the 18th century to today. It explores how style has long served as a tool of resistance, self-definition, and power. The exhibition spans 12 thematic sections like Ownership, Cool, Heritage, and Beauty, and incorporates garments, photography, paintings, and film.
The Met Gala dress code, “Tailored for You,” invites attendees to interpret the theme through personalized tailoring—honoring the historical significance of custom dress in Black communities, where access to clothing and self-representation was historically limited. Tailors played a crucial role in empowering people to shape how they were seen—and to reclaim identity through style.
The Met Gala has always been more than just fashion’s biggest night—it’s a mirror reflecting the intersections of style, culture, identity, and power. This year, with Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, we’re reminded that fashion is not only art, but also history, resistance, and celebration. As we watch the red carpet unfold and marvel at the spectacle, let’s not forget the stories stitched into every seam. Because behind the glitz and glam is a deeper narrative—one that deserves to be seen, studied, and honored.
