
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>The Met Gala, an arts fundraiser more commonly known to fans as an extravagant, star-studded night for fashion, will honor fashion pioneered by Black men throughout history Monday night, with celebrities including A$AP Rocky and Colman Domingo set to host.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The Met Gala will take place May 5 in New York as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, celebrating the opening of the museum’s spring exhibition: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”</p>



<p>The dress code for the evening is “Tailored for You,” which the Met said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">press release</a>&nbsp;is a “nod to the exhibition’s focus on suiting and menswear.”</p>



<p>Co-chairs for this year’s event include Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo, rapper A$AP Rocky, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and producer Pharrell Williams, alongside Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.</p>



<p>LeBron James will participate as the gala’s honorary chair this year.</p>



<p>This year’s gala is funded by a few billionaire celebrities—Tyler Perry’s Perry Foundation and George Lucas’s Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation—as well as Instagram and Africa Fashion International.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Is This Year’s Met Gala Theme?</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The Met</a>&nbsp;has defined this year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” as an “exploration of the concept of dandyism,” a term that originally referred to aristocratic style as far back as the 18th century, which Vogue now defines as an “exuberant attention to dress.” The showcase and this year’s gala are based on the 2009 book “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” by Monica Miller, chair of the Barnard College Africana Studies department. Miller told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/superfine-tailoring-black-style-costume-institute-spring-2025-exhibition" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Vogue</a>&nbsp;this year’s exhibition will “illustrate how Black people transformed from being enslaved and stylized as luxury items, acquired like any other signifier of wealth and status, to autonomous self-fashioning individuals who are global trendsetters.” The Met’s exhibition is divided into twelve sections, each representing a characteristic defining the Black dandy style: Ownership, Presence, Distinction, Disguise, Freedom, Champion, Respectability, Jook, Heritage, Beauty, Cool, and Cosmopolitanism, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Met’s website</a>. Miller told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/apr/30/an-incredibly-political-moment-why-fashion-and-the-met-gala-are-celebrating-black-dandyism" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">the Guardian</a>&nbsp;the exhibition examines the idea of “ownership,” particularly the contrast between “being owned and ‘owning it.’’ This year’s exhibition was designed by artist Torkwase Dyson, and artist Iké Udé served as a special consultant.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Who’s Attending This Year’s Met Gala?</h2>



<p>This year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">host committee</a>&nbsp;members are André 3000, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, Grace Wales Bonner, Jordan Casteel, Dapper Dan, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Edward Enninful, Jeremy O. Harris, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Rashid Johnson, Regina King, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, Audra McDonald, Janelle Monáe, Jeremy Pope, Angel Reese, Sha&#8217;Carri Richardson, Olivier Rousteing, Tyla, Usher and Kara Walker, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/ci-2025-exhibition-gala-details" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Met</a>. Zendaya, a Met Gala favorite for her extravagant looks conceived of by her stylist, Law Roach, will attend, Roach told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1415897/zendaya-will-attend-met-gala-2025-law-roach-confirms" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">E! News</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. Rihanna, another Met Gala regular, has not confirmed whether she will attend, though speculation has grown since her longtime partner, A$AP Rocky, is a co-chair. Actress Blake Lively, also known a regular attendee, has not confirmed whether she will attend amid her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/01/13/the-entire-justin-baldoni-vs-blake-lively-feud-explained-former-publicist-reportedly-subpoenaing-tech-companies/">legal battle</a>&nbsp;with “It Ends With Us” director Justin Baldoni, though&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/03/21/blake-lively-ryan-reynolds-skipping-met-gala/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">TMZ</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://people.com/blake-lively-ryan-reynolds-will-not-attend-2025-met-gala-exclusive-source-11701488" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">People</a>&nbsp;both cited sources claiming she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, will skip this year’s gala. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/style/met-gala-2025-black-dandy-politics.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">New York Times</a>&nbsp;reported various billionaires will skip this year’s event, including Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bernard Arnault and Elon Musk, while billionaire Michael Bloomberg will attend.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Number</h2>



<p>$75,000. That’s how much a single Met Gala ticket costs, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/met-gala-2025-theme-hosts-watch.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">New York Times</a>&nbsp;reported, while tables of 10 sell for $350,000. Celebrities are typically sponsored by brands who purchase tickets for them.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Surprising Fact</h2>



<p>LeBron James, this year’s honorary co-chair, is playing in the NBA playoffs for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves lead the series 3-1, though if the Lakers keep winning, James could have a game the night before the gala, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/2025-nba-playoffs-schedule" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">NBA’s schedule</a>—and if the Lakers win, it’s unclear whether James will attend.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How Can Viewers Watch The Met Gala?</h2>



<p>The Met Gala will be broadcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/where-to-watch-the-2025-met-gala-livestream" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Vogue’s</a>&nbsp;digital platforms and on its YouTube channel beginning May 5 at 6 p.m. EST. Singer and actress Teyana Taylor, actress La La Anthony, and comedian Ego Nwodim will host the broadcast, and social media star Emma Chamberlain will return as Vogue’s special correspondent.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Background</h2>



<p>The Met Gala has had a decades-long&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/6972918/met-gala-history/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">history</a>&nbsp;as a fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute before transforming into an extravagant fashion showcase. The first gala was held in 1948 as a midnight dinner party, though it did not begin to transform until then-Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland joined as a consultant in the 1970s. Last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/05/06/what-we-know-about-tonights-met-gala-backed-by-tiktok-with-zendaya-and-more-co-chairing-garden-of-time-themed-event/">exhibition</a>&nbsp;was titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” and the dress code for attendees was “Garden of Time.” Other recent themes include “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” in 2023 and “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” in 2022.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Further Reading</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/superfine-suiting-portfolio-may-2025" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">“Superfine” and Dandy: Iconic Creatives Celebrate the Costume Institute’s New Exhibition</a>&nbsp;(Vogue)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/where-to-watch-the-2025-met-gala-livestream" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Where to Watch the 2025 Met Gala Livestream</a>&nbsp;(Vogue)</p>


The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” – Street Sightings

What To Know About Tonight’s Met Gala: Who’s Attending And The ‘Tailoring Black Style’ Theme Explained


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> For this year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Benefit, better known as the Met Gala, attendees were instructed to wear red carpet outfits that fit in with the exhibit theme of “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” resulting in gowns in shades of red, white and blue, by many American designers.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340170524-1024x680.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52505" width="673" height="446" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340170524-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340170524-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340170524-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340170524-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340170524-2048x1361.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 673px) 100vw, 673px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13:  Anna Wintour departs The Mark Hotel for the 2021 Met Gala on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Along with American-style outfits, this year’s guestlist reflected the USA theme: inaugural poet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/01/20/amanda-gormans-inauguration-poem-was-partly-inspired-by-the-capitol-riots/?sh=3bed25fc4c5b">Amanda Gorman</a>&nbsp;served as a co-chair of the gala while Vice President Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter, model&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/01/28/kamala-harris-stepdaughter-just-landed-a-massive-modeling-contract/">Ella Emhoff</a>, scored an exclusive invite after both women went viral online over their appearances at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.</p>



<p>The first Met Gala held since 2019, the event required attendees to present proof of vaccination and a negative coronavirus test, which pushed rapper Nicki Minaj to announce she would not be attending.</p>



<p>The Met Gala raises millions each year for the Met’s Costume Institute, which opened in 2014 and holds the museum’s fashion collection, and marks the beginning of the wing’s annual fashion exhibit.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340173730-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52507" width="669" height="446" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340173730-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340173730-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340173730-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340173730-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340173730-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 669px) 100vw, 669px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams depart The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City.  (Photo by Cindy Ord/MG21/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340171917-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52506" width="653" height="435" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340171917-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340171917-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340171917-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340171917-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340171917-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 653px) 100vw, 653px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Megan Thee Stallion departs The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City.  (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/MG21/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue )</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340169395-1024x766.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52504" width="662" height="495" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340169395-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340169395-300x224.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340169395-768x574.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340169395-1536x1149.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340169395-2048x1532.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13: Maisie Williams departs The Mark Hotel for the 2021 Met Gala on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168770-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52503" width="701" height="467" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168770-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168770-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168770-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168770-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168770-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13: Ella Emhoff attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168658-717x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52502" width="497" height="710" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168658-717x1024.jpg 717w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168658-210x300.jpg 210w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168658-768x1097.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168658-1076x1536.jpg 1076w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168658-1434x2048.jpg 1434w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340168658-scaled.jpg 1793w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13: Leon Bridges  departs The Mark Hotel for the 2021 Met Gala on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340167487-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52501" width="618" height="412" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340167487-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340167487-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340167487-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340167487-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340167487-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13: Co-chair, Billie Eilish attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340163398-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52500" width="738" height="492" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340163398-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340163398-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340163398-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340163398-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340163398-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 738px) 100vw, 738px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13: Lil Nas X attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340162789-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52499" width="664" height="443" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340162789-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340162789-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340162789-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340162789-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340162789-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13: Co-chair Timothée Chalamet attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340131525-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52498" width="609" height="913" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340131525-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340131525-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340131525-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340131525-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340131525-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1340131525-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px" /><figcaption>NEW YORK, NEW YORK &#8211; SEPTEMBER 13: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Carolyn B. Maloney attends the The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG21/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue )</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong><em>By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Tag: MET Gala

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What To Know About Tonight’s Met Gala: Who’s Attending And The ‘Tailoring Black Style’ Theme Explained

Met Gala: Ella Emhoff, Amanda Gorman And Lil Nas X Pay Tribute To ‘In America’ Theme (Photos)