The Met Gala that occurs every first Monday of May is a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, where respected celebrities have the opportunity to express themselves in a flamboyantly fashionable manner. This exclusive event takes place in the museum and holds a different theme each year. The 2025 theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” meant to embrace the “importance of style to the formation of Black identities,” according to the museum. The theme celebrates Black dandyism. I will be rating this year’s outfits according to three criteria: how well the outfit fulfills the Gala’s theme, how well and if it suits expresses each celebrities’ persona, and overall aesthetic cohesion.
First, we have Rihanna wearing a Marc Jacobs design. She wears a large black hat alongside a grey bodysuit with a cropped jacket on top and a pinstriped skirt. For an accessory, she wears a polka-dot red tie and contrasts this with black-and-white heels. The jacket and the hat tie the whole outfit together with simplicity and class, while the red tie fulfills the goal of dandyism: fashion rather than function. Consequently, Rihanna’s strength, spirit, and understanding of the assignment all deserves an A.
Next up is Emma Chamberlain in an outfit created by Courrèges that has a cutout striped dress, similar to Rihanna‘s, along with sheer gloves on her arms. Her outfit is complex enough to make people wonder whether it’s a suit or a cut-out dress. The glasses blend perfectly together with her makeup, but adding silver necklaces would have elevated the look. The gloves are more than a nice touch because they epitomize the evening’s theme of fun and foppish dandyism. This outfit gets an A.
Let’s move onto Zendaya, who had her outfit made by Louis Vuitton. She was inspired by an all-white look with a top hat that hides her eyes, and pants that cover her shoes. I believe that her intention behind this outfit was to reflect the stylish white suits that African American men wore in the 20th century. This look was the ultimate outfit that captured the evening’s intended style and my favorite by far. Solid A+ for matching the theme and building on her strengths.
Chappell Roan picked Paul Tazewell as her designer and wore a sparkly hot pink outfit with a geometric pattern and her go-to makeup look. She managed to pull a difficult outfit together, but she never fails to express her quirky personality in an artistic manner. She’s the only celebrity that can successfully embody this flamboyant style, but it failed to capture the event’s theme. I believe that this outfit is more appropriate for a Barbie-themed event rather than one that celebrates Black culture. Overall grade for Roan’s outfit: B+.
Lastly, Sydney Sweeney had her dazzling diamond black dress designed by Miu Miu. This dress embodies the event’s theme with its bold black spirit. She has an impressive natural makeup look, and her decorative bangs accentuate the gaudy spirit. Her look is expensive, elegant, and exquisite. Sweeney’s overall grade is an A.
Judging by these five ensembles, this year’s Met Gala proved particularly successful and allowed celebrities to interpret the sartorial theme in a variety of ways. I look forward to each year’s theme and always find it thrilling to discover who gets invited.
Image Credits: Vogue.