Alex Bäuml

With the theme being Black dandyism, I must say I had little anticipation nor excitement to see white celebrities pull up in their take on the dress code. This year was about Black style icons — and we got some of the best looks we’ve seen at the Met in a hot second.

Teyana Taylor in Marc Jacobs (designed by Ruth E. Carter)

Teyana Taylor absolutely ATE. Co-designed with the iconic Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, how could we expect anything less? Her three-piece pinstripe zoot suit with an extravagant red padded cape embroidered with the words “Harlem Rose”, a feathered fedora, matching durag, leather gloves, silver chains, custom Marc Jacobs Kiki boots, and a bright red cane is tailored to absolute perfection — incredible. Theatrical and dramatic, with pristine attention to detail and a burlesque essence. I love a look steeped in symbolism and storytelling, and this one was it. You can just tell how much work, thought, and references went into its creation. I wish more attendees would work with costume designers to craft custom works of art — it is the Costume Institute Benefit after all.

Jodie Turner-Smith in Burberry (styled by Law Roach)

This custom look by Burberry’s Daniel Lee in collaboration with stylist Law Roach is a perfect example of understanding the assignment. Jodie Turner-Smith’s embossed oxblood leather coat puffed at the shoulders, cinched at the waist, and draped across the floor with theatrical style and fine tailoring. The ultimate finishing touch was a dramatic top hat in the same burgundy shade and amazing loafer-looking boots. The colour, the textures, the theatrics ! I loved this look before even learning the inspiration behind it, namely Selika Lazevski, a Black equestrian who lived in Belle Époque Paris. Burberry — a fashion house with an equestrian logo — designing a look based on a Black horsewoman is exactly the type of deep research, contemplation and admiration for this year’s theme that I had hoped to see, and flawlessly aligns with the purpose of the Costume Institute’s exhibit.

Honourable Mention – Diana Ross in Ugo Mozie (styled by Ugo Mozie)

The legend herself returns to the Met, dropping all of our jaws with her gorgeous 18-foot white train and wide-brimmed feathered hat to match. Her glamorous look was created in collaboration between herself, her son Evan Ross and Nigerian designer/stylist Ugo Mozie, and has all of her children and grandchildren’s names embroidered on the train. An absolutely beautiful look for absolute icon. Obsessed.

Honourable Mention – Khaby Lame in Boss (styled by Ugo Mozie)

Definitely unexpected to have been my menswear fave, but I loved Khaby’s custom Boss look by Marco Falcioni. Styled by Ugo Mozie, the film noir-esque grey pinstripe suit was elevated into a standout look via a waistcoat adorned with vintage pocket watches. I thought this impeccable silhouette and playful touch was such a perfect tribute to Black dandyism.

**Side note: After seeing Khaby as a well-known influencer/creator be invited to this year’s Met, I was definitely disappointed not to see Wisdom Kaye on the blue carpet. To me, he truly embodies Black dandyism and is the Black modern style icon. A true shame that he didn’t get invited/no brand chose to dress him this year… I don’t get it.

Honourable Mention – Ugbad Abdi in Michael Kors

The textures, the prints, the fabrics, the CAMP. This look had it all. Ugbad Abdi’s custom Michael Kors metallic paisley cape featured a silver faux fur collar and a crystal charcoal pinstripe suit that was a pure feast for the eyes. Utterly beautiful, and inspired by the great André Leon Talley — what more could we want.

Footnote – Tyla in Tolu Coker (styled by Law Roach)

My singular first thought after discovering the theme of this year’s Met was that I hope SOMEONE would wear Tolu Coker.

Slightly disappointed that no stylist created a Tolu custom for the carpet, but I must say I squealed when I saw the photos of Tyla attending a pre-Met event wearing the brand’s iconic print minidress. Styled by Law Roach, the look features a dramatic cinched waist and an exaggerated matching hat. Love love love!

Asya Mkh

Ayo Edebiri in Ferragamo (styled by Danielle Goldberg)

As a long-time admirer of Ayo’s work, I was waiting for her to appear on the screen of my TV that was patiently playing the Met Gala live stream. Her last year’s met outfit was amongst the only ones I actually liked, so I knew she would deliver once more. In the interview she gave as part of ‘The Making of Vogue’s Met Gala Issue’ video, she referenced her father as her inspiration for what Black Dandyism is. Her dress reflected that inspiration—tailored perfectly with a deep white collar, red beaded detailing adding more intricate shapes to the dress and an elegant leather floor-length blazer to tie it all together. The look definitely represented the ‘Tailored for You’ dress code, but by adding references that honour her father and her background, the actress tailored the code for herself, deepening the meaning of the theme further.

Tramell Tillman in Thom Browne (styled by Chaise Dennis)

My first thought when I saw the amazing Tramell Tillman walk the carpet in a breathtaking Thom Browne creation: “Mr Milkshake did not come to play!” The actor’s beautiful suit was inspired by a play he saw titled ‘Relentless’ (by Tyla Abercrumbie) set in the early 1900s. With his look, Tillman honoured the important figures of the time—important people who are not being spoken about often enough. In doing that, he crossed the dimensions between fashion and time, creating recognition that transcends generations. As for the tailoring aspect of the dress code, the perfectly fitted velvet tailcoat speaks for itself. He simply ate.

Hunter Schafer in Prada (styled by Dara Allen)

Let me just start off by saying that if you are Hunter Schafer (lucky you), anything you wear will look like it was tailored for you. Yet somehow, the elegant Para suit playfully reminds us that this year’s theme can be represented in the simplest of complexities. When you first see the look, it seems classic, elegant and simply beautiful, yet the hat and the gloves add a playfulness to the outfit, a character that represents Schafer as much as it does the theme. Styled by the iconic Dara Allen (whom I have been obsessed with for a hot sec), this look represents Dandyism and tailoring done right. The second I saw her come on my screen, I awoke from the half-sleep I was in (it streamed at 2 AM my time) and felt the passion for good clothes boil up in me.

Chiara Ferrari

Teyana Taylor in Marc Jacobs (designed by Ruth E. Carter)

When envisioning this year’s Met Gala theme, this is exactly the execution I had in mind. Teyana Taylor, to me, was the perfect representation of classic Dandyism – of the dandyism I know and have had the chance to see over the years worn so beautifully by different African men worldwide. The extravagance of the look, the vivid red colour, the strong shoulders, the feathers and the durag – it all worked so well to remind us of the expressionism that clothes can have and celebrate how Dandysm has been used to express pride, rebellion and much more in Black history. She gave it all in a way that maybe some consider as ‘too much’, but if you look back at real Dandy men, in my case, if I look back at Congolese Dandies, this is the only and right way to do it.  Oh, and the best part of this look for me? The femininity that is transmitted by the singer wearing a rather ‘masculine look’ blends the boundaries of what is associated with masculinity and femininity. Which, in its merit, is a perfect reflection of the challenging nature of this style – a style and way of living rooted in defiance due to their (men’s) concern for the beau.

Anok Yai in Thom Browne

Anok Yai can do no wrong in my eyes, but in this case, she exceeded all of my (and would like to think our) expectations and outdid herself. This Thom Browne gown is, to me, one of the best interpretations of the ‘Tailored for You’ part of the theme; it represents the classic elements of Dandyism with a fun yet elegant take. The sleeveless dress is beautifully adherent to the figure while still not retaining all of the attention on that due to the almost deconstructed part of the look (my favourite part of it) – the jacket sleeves knotted and falling over her hips that then are constructed by a rather classic white ball gown trail. A perfect ensemble between a masculine suit and flirty gown, a look that has a modern feel given by the makeup and forms, but that still manages to take us back in time, in a very glamorous way.

Letinka – Black Dandyism and the Performance of Restraint

Laura Harrier in Gap Studio by Zac Posen (styled by Danielle Goldberg): Reclaiming the Masculine with Grace

Let’s start with the obvious: Laura Harrier looked impeccable. Ethereal yet grounded, soft but commanding, her look by Zac Posen was a triumph of opposites. It took the silhouette of a traditionally masculine ensemble: a waistcoat and wide-leg trousers and refined it into something breathlessly elegant without losing its edge.

What stood out to me was how she subverted the tired trend of women in oversized men’s blazers, a look that once signalled effortless edge but now reads more like a default exhausted uniform—detached, overdone, and oddly defensive. Harrier’s tailoring wasn’t about drowning in the masculine to signal power. It was sculpted, intentional. Feminine, but not soft in the way that word usually implies—feminine in its precision, in the way it shaped her presence rather than blurred it.

The sheer puff sleeves added a surreal, almost ghostly romanticism—like a duchess from a novel who fell through time and landed in a four-story townhouse in Greenwich Village, sipping espresso and ghosting people on her phone. It was the perfect interpretation of the theme: a fusion of historicism, gender play, and, most beautifully, restraint. She didn’t just wear the clothes; she translated them into a visual dialect of her own.

Patrick Schwarzenegger in Balmain: The Beautiful Banality of the White Man

Now let’s talk about Patrick Schwarzenegger. On the surface, his look was… fine. Pinstripes, a bold yellow shirt, a red belt. Nothing radical. But my intuition says that’s exactly the point and maybe the only honest response to this year’s confused theme.

He didn’t try to pretend this was a meaningful moment in fashion. He looked good, and he knew it. His face did the work. He slipped into a decent suit, threw on his favourite shirt, and showed up. And weirdly, that felt dandy in its own way—because he didn’t chase spectacle. He accepted the mediocrity of the fashion world’s expectations for attractive white men and made peace with it. It wasn’t trying to be camp or clever—it just existed in its own quiet confidence. And somehow, that made it seductively endearing.

There was something almost wholesome about it—this quiet acknowledgement of his own privilege, not weaponised or disguised but worn plainly. In a way, that, too, was a kind of restraint.

While others overcompensated with underwhelming theatrics and white hats (hint hint), Patrick delivered something closer to a shrug, and maybe that’s the purest distillation of masculine fashion in 2025: baseline handsome, mildly ironic, aware of the power his face holds, and perfectly content to let a belt become the centre of conversation.

Giulia Ferrari

Laura Harrier in Gap Studio by Zac Posen (styled by Danielle Goldberg)

When Laura Harrier walked into the Met, I think many of us simply stopped and admired only her for a moment. From the fabrics used to the intricate tailoring of her suit, the puffiness in her sleeves blatantly screams elegance. For a moment, you forget about the context behind the design and simply stare in awe, yet once you pinpoint all the tiny details that lead to the relevance of the theme and dress code, you can appreciate the design that much more. And so, I did with Zac Posen’s x Gap Studio design, worn by Laura.  You glide your eyes along this sophisticated piece that echoes out femininity, yet tiny details such as the striking high collar and sharp tailoring add a mixture of masculinity which may relate back to the theme. When I look at this garment, I see Black Dandyism in the form of zoot suits. I glanced at it and instantly thought it costume-like, which was then supported by her flamboyant posing. The large and exaggerated details, draping sleeves,  and high-waisted trousers. This, a statement piece that does exactly as it should: speak volumes.

Jodie Turner-Smith in Burberry (styled by Law Roach)

I also came to favour Jodie Turner’s look. In contrast to my usual taste of calm neutrals, Jodie’s all-burgundy and leather look down to the boots is a tasteful yet assertive representation of the theme. All whilst having characteristics similar to that of Laura  Harrier, such as draping elements, sharp craftsmanship, and theatrical details such as the top hat, the material and colours used give it a much bolder feel. In curiosity, I researched this look further and its relevance to the theme. I learnt it pays homage to a portrait of Selina  Lazevski taken in 1891 by Paul Nader. A Black Equestrian woman fiercely posing, face forward with a stern expression. The firm cinch at the waist replicates that of the portrait.  One cannot turn away from the intricate craftsmanship to create such a cinched and structured bodice, one that may mimic that of African craftsmanship. Not only did this look catch my eye through aesthetics, but I also believe the inspiration or historical referencing and homage behind it ties it all together.

Dias Toibazarov

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade in Prada

With every subsequent met gala outing, it feels like we’re not just nearing but actively tipping over into self-parody. This year’s theme and accompanying dress code presented an opportunity to go big or elegant. While there has been a fair share of bombshell outfits, I would like to highlight the efforts of Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, who killed it in customs (my fave!)—Prada and matching Tiffany pieces. The long white train and flowers in Union’s hair elegantly complement Wade’s suit jacket, which goes extra with the embroidered vest and my most favoured detail, the colour-matched nail polish. A fantastic couples outfit that not only fits but honours and respects the theme.