The Morning Before The Met Gala With Sergio Hudson
Sergio Hudson getting ready for the Met Gala JayMar Photography
On a rainy New York day in uptown Manhattan, at the Plaza, designer Sergio Hudson sits unshakenly sound in his hotel suite. "I only got two hours asleep," he says. His schedule, a severe mix of anxiety and restlessness, has made rest nearly impossible. Prior to our meeting, he describes his night and early morning, 'No sleep. Fitting, fitting. Breakfast—I didn't even eat half of it.' He goes on, 'Fitting, fitting, fitting, meeting. Then I had to go to this event where they were honoring me. I actually forgot I was supposed to be there until they texted me that morning.' At the event, Hudson met Whoopi Goldberg and Angela Bassett. 'I cried,' he says, 'but I had to leave that to go to another fitting.' The rest of his responsibilities, which he describes as "craziness" include leaving his hotel to go to another hotel and do one more fitting, finally wrapping up at 4 AM, only to wake two hours later for more fittings and meetings.
Hudson is dressing 15 clients for this year's Met Gala. And while that is no easy feat, the theme being "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," Hudson holds a distinct advantage. This is his territory, his crème de la crème—the very essence of what he's known for. "This is who I am, this is how I see fashion." Though initially unfamiliar with the concept and cultural weight of the term 'Black Dandyism,' Hudson's perspective shifted after reading 'Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity' by Monica L. Miller. The patterns and codes described felt instantly familiar, although hidden behind a name, it was deeply rooted in the rituals seen in his Southern upbringing like dressing up for Sunday church. 'You wear your best, you show out,' he says. 'It's [Black Dandyism] mentally ingrained in me.'
Sergio Hudson suit JayMar Photography
Superfine tailoring, the realm Hudson is most closely associated with, embodies a sense of 'grandeur and flashiness' that, to him, has always felt like a form of rebellion. ' Throughout history, we weren't able to express ourselves or be showy,' he explains. 'So when we got into our private spaces, just among ourselves, that was our way to show personality and style .'
Hudson, who specializes in fine-tailored suits, has dressed some of the most prominent Black figures in recent history — from Michelle Obama for her inauguration suit to Beyonce, Keke Palmer, and more. Yet this year's theme still challenged him. "Here's the thing with the Met Gala," he leans in, "When you first do it, you get this feeling of having to up the ante," he says. "You have to do more, you gotta' be better, you have to do bigger. But, I realized you just have to make a great look and that's what we do on the daily basis at Sergio Hudson." He continues, "We were just doing, what we're doing."
Woodford Reserve, a spirits brand based in Woodford County, Kentucky, partnered with Hudson to bring him to the Met Gala. The collaboration isn't new, Woodford has worked with Hudson over the past year, previously commissioning him to design three custom looks inspired by the brand's 200 distinct flavor notes. Hudson describes the partnership as 'organic,' adding, 'I don't feel pressured by them to do things I don't want to do.' From the beginning, their connection was rooted in shared values. 'We aligned on brand ethos,' he explains, emphasizing how 'easy' the collaboration has been. 'There's nothing more American than bourbon. There's a sophistication to the drink, and more men in suits are drinking bourbon.'
Sergio Hudson X Woodford Reserve JayMar Photography
And the partnership is on theme, alcohol played a significant role in Black Dandyism, especially during the Harlem Renaissance. 'A portion of it is that what you're drinking emphasizes your look and your mood—it's a feeling, it's an attitude,' Hudson says. To him, Black Dandyism is far more than aesthetics, 'It's a political statement. It's you saying, 'You think I'm this, but I look like this, so I can be this. I'm living this lifestyle. I am a dandy.''
"It's what they drive, it's where they live, it's what they wear," and as a classic suitor, the tailoring is what Hudson emphasized this past Met Gala. Accentuated shoulders in suits are what we saw in his pin-striped ensemble, Quinta Brunson's pin-striped suit jacket, and John Imah's look. "I'm really big on a shoulder," big shoulders are what he wishes would make a comeback to mainstream suiting, "the stores wanted me to take down the shoulders but my customers want me to bring it back."
Sergio Hudson getting ready JayMar Photography
While fine tailoring and suiting might be the topic of now due to the Met Gala's messaging, Hudson is "hopeful and prayerful" that this idea has a lasting effect in mainstream fashion. "My goal is for us to normalize this because I feel like we [Black people] are unicorns that come out to play every now and then." For Hudson, the public's treatment of Black expression often feels cyclical. 'They're so great, they're so stylish, they're so wonderful. Now put them back up,' he says, mimicking the pattern he's seen play out time and time again. This kind of treatment, he explains, has sadly become normalized within the Black community. But this year's Met Gala theme feels different—like a homecoming, or as he puts it, a 'coming-out party.' He adds, 'You took a lot from what we created, and now you're acknowledging it. And you can't turn back now.'
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