Honoring Black Fashion Pioneers and the Dandy Style Elegance at the Met Gala
The Glitzy and Groundbreaking Met Gala
Hollywood A-listers, music sensations, sports stars, and fashion icons strut their stuff on the red carpet for the Met Gala, held at the extravagant Manhattan Fundraiser. The event this year dives deep into the subversive style of Black dandyism.
The theme for the night is sharp and tailored dandy aesthetics, showcasing a rich history of this style. It also marks the opening of the Costume Institute's exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
For the fashion-minded, the Met Gala, happening on the first Monday in May, is recognized as one of the world's top red carpets packed with eye-catching star power.
Some of theCo-chairs for fashion's grand event, such as Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, were early arrivals, alongside the gala's supreme leader, Anna Wintour, and other guests.
Colman Domingo honored the late Andre Leon Talley, Vogue's first Black creative director, by wearing a royal blue Valentino cape adorned with a dazzling white collar, black and gold jacket, and gray tweed trousers.
Lewis Hamilton made heads turn in a crisp cream suit and a matching backward cap, sporting sparkling diamonds in his ears, lapel, cuffs, and hands.
Musician and designer Pharrell Williams, another co-chair, turned heads in a short pearl-encrusted white jacket and flared black tuxedo trousers.
For the men in attendance, tailored suits, jeweled brooches, canes, and jaunty hats were the norm.
Teyana Taylor, an actress, got the memo as she showed up in a black suit with red pinstripes, accompanied by a striking huge red coat - the back pleated, and "Harlem Rose" embossed in the fabric.
Rapper Doechii wore a logo-heavy Louis Vuitton cream shorts suit with burgundy accents, a cigar hanging casually between her lips.
Singer Zendaya, a regular standout at the Met Gala, stole the show as she arrived in a slim white suit and a dramatic brimmed hat - perhaps hinting at a new bridal style with fiancé Tom Holland in tow?
Last to arrive at the event was Rihanna, cradling her expanding belly in an all-black ensemble, announcing her pregnancy to the world. Her partner A$AP Rocky, a co-chair, confirmed the news on the red carpet: "I'm glad everybody's happy for us because we're definitely happy."
A Fresh Sense of Significance
Five years since the Black Lives Matter movement, cultural institutions in the United States have been pushed to reassess racial representation. The Met Gala and its exhibit, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," aim to stand firmly against this notion, exploring Black dandyism from its 18th-century origins to modern times.
"Obviously, this exhibition was planned years ago, and we didn’t know what would be happening in the political arena," explained Anna Wintour. "But it's taken on a new sense of importance and purpose."
Reclaiming Identity
Guest curator and Barnard professor Monica Miller used the Met's inspiration from her book, "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity." In her book, she explains how dandyism served as a refined, subversive style for Black men to elevate their dignity and challenge societal prejudice.
The exhibit, "Superfine," offers a rare spotlight on men and male fashion, highlighting the work of Black designers and artists like Torkwase Dyson, Tanda Francis, and Andre Grenard Matswa.
The Met Gala was initially organized in 1948 and was largely exclusive to New York high society. It was only transformed into a high-profile gathering for the rich and famous by Anna Wintour in the 1990s, with Vogue at the helm.
This year, the event is expected to raise an estimated $31 million for the Costume Institute.
- The glitzy Met Gala, celebrated for its star-studded attendance and exquisite fashion, delved into the subversive style of Black dandyism this year.
- Guest curator Monica Miller, a professor at Barnard, drew inspiration from her book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity" for the "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" exhibit at the Met Gala.
- Teyana Taylor, an actress, donned a black suit with red pinstripes and a striking huge red coat, emblazoned with "Harlem Rose," celebrating her identity at the event.
- Singer Zendaya arrived in a slim white suit and a dramatic brimmed hat, potentially signaling a new bridal style as her fiancé Tom Holland accompanied her.
- Lewis Hamilton turned heads in a crisp cream suit, sporting sparkling diamonds and a matching backward cap, showcasing the blinding glamour of the fashion and lifestyle sector.
- Some celebrities, like Rihanna, used the Met Gala as a platform to celebrate their personal milestones, confirming her pregnancy on the red carpet with her partner A$AP Rocky.
- The Met Gala, initially exclusive to New York high society, has now transformed into a vogue display of culture, entertainment, and pop-culture, with social-media buzzing about the event and its influence on society.
