The first Monday in May is approaching, and for anyone interested in fashion – or just a good spectacle – that means one thing: Met Gala Monday. Soon, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will buzz with a nervous, glittering energy that only comes once a year. Fifth Avenue will be lined with barricades and flooded with fans, reporters and paparazzi —all clamoring for a glimpse of the world’s biggest names.
The steps of the Met will become unrecognizable, buried under carpet cascading down from the entrance with floral displays and glowing lights transforming the museum into a different kind of exhibit: one of the rich, famous, and impossibly beautiful. For one night, the Met won’t be a museum — it will be a portal into a world most people can only see online.
Every great party needs its theme, and this year’s theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” meant to express Black dandyism. The dress code, “Tailored for You,” is a nod to the exhibition’s focus on menswear. Actor Colman Domingo, race car driver Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky, singer Pharrell Williams and fashion icon Anna Wintour will be this year’s co-chairs. Basketball superstar LeBron James will serve as Honorary Chair.
The Met will also bring back its traditional Host Committee to aid with the night’s festivities, with an array of diverse celebrities including, Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Spike Lee, Angel Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson, USHER, and more.
“Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” takes inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.” Curator in Charge, Andrew Bolton, worked alongside Miller to explore depictions of Black dandyism spanning from 18th century art to modern day works. The exhibit will be split into twelve sections – each highlighting a characteristic of Black dandyism.
According to Vogue, Black dandyism is synonymous with “dressing wisely and well.” Miller defines it as “a strategy and tool to rethink identity, to reimagine the self in a different context.“ According to Bolton, the Costume Institute hopes that this year’s Gala will show significant strides in the Institution’s commitment to diversity. This comes as a sharp contrast to last year’s theme which highlighted controversial fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Every year, how well a guest embodies the Gala’s theme is a hot conversation topic, and this year will be no different. Thankfully for attendees – “Tailored for You” is intentionally vague, to inspire looks reflective of personal style. With the exhibition’s focus on menswear, we can expect looks inspired by various menswear staples – the Brooch and Zoot Suit will likely both be making a comeback. We can also expect to see looks inspired by historically Black styles with cultural, and political, significance.
As Monday approaches, one big question lingers: can they pull it off? Fashion remains an exclusive industry, and the Met, has a long history of racism and exclusion. The theme gestures toward progress, but will it truly honor Black style and history? The night will be dominated by the wealthy and powerful. Whether the Gala and its attendees will honor the spirit of Black dandyism, or merely use it as an aesthetic to be consumed, remains to be seen — and the world will be watching.