logo
The Morning Before The Met Gala With Sergio Hudson

The Morning Before The Met Gala With Sergio Hudson

Forbes07-05-2025

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.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Why Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Fan's Shirt on Saturday
Why Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Fan's Shirt on Saturday

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Why Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Fan's Shirt on Saturday

Why Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Fan's Shirt on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Since her arrival on the women's basketball scene, going back to her time at Iowa, even before she was the No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft in 2024, Caitlin Clark understood the value of connecting with fans. She struggled to get her head around her job as a role model, but she was diligent about seeing to that duty. Advertisement As she said early last year, "It's hard for myself to wrap my head around (being a role model). It's crazy the way people scream my name and really support us. I try to make time for as many of them as I can. That's something that never gets old.' Clark has always seen bringing people together, on and off the floor, as part of her role. 'This isn't an individual sport," she said. "I have four other people on the court with me at the same time, I have 10 other girls on the bench. ... I don't have to score a million points every single night and I think I find peace in that. When I'm having fun and just being Caitlin, that's when things are really successful.' Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) applauds her teammates during the first half of a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images But while Clark remains known for being big-hearted, she does have some boundaries. She has been out for the past two weeks because of a quad injury--the first missed time because of injury in her career--but she has still been showing up at Fever games as she rehabs. Advertisement She was on hand at the United Center on Saturday night for the Fever's victory over the Chicago Sky, and spent considerable time before the game signing autographs and taking photos with fans who had come to watch her play. But she drew the line on one thing: She was not about to autograph Sky materials. That was shown in a video on X from Saturday in which Clark signed a string of autographs only to smile and pass on signing what appeared to be a Chicago Sky-colored shirt. A post from the account, "The Indiana Fever," noted, "Caitlin Clark refused to sign the Chicago Sky merch." The fan who had tried to get her to do so, it should be pointed out, laughed it off. Advertisement Clark is hopeful of returning to the court this week, with the Fever's next game coming Tuesday in Atlanta. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Former Tennis Star Pete Sampras Spotted in L.A. During Rare Public Appearance After Retirement Over 2 Decades Ago
Former Tennis Star Pete Sampras Spotted in L.A. During Rare Public Appearance After Retirement Over 2 Decades Ago

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Former Tennis Star Pete Sampras Spotted in L.A. During Rare Public Appearance After Retirement Over 2 Decades Ago

NEED TO KNOW Pete Sampras, the former tennis star known as "Pistol Pete," was spotted during a rare public appearance on June 3 The athlete was seen while he made a coffee run in Beverly Hills Sampras, who retired over two decades ago in 2002, is well-known as one of the greatest tennis players of all time Pete Sampras was seen out and about during a rare public appearance. The former tennis star, 53, was spotted making a coffee run in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Tuesday, June 3. Sampras wore a dark gray Nike T-shirt and gray shorts while he carried two drinks in a beverage holder in one hand and a shopping bag in the other. Advertisement The athlete was last seen publicly in December 2024. Before that, he made a rare public appearance at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open, where he played with Novak Djokovic in an exhibition match. London Entertainment / SplashNews Pete Sampras on June 3. Pete Sampras on June 3. Sampras — also referred to as 'Pistol Pete' for his serve — is well-known as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He began his professional tennis career in 1988, when he was 16 years old. Sampras retired in 2002 after winning a then-record 14 Grand Slam titles and ending the year ranked as the ATP No. 1 player in the world from 1993 to 1998. The Hall-of-Famer, inducted in 2007, famously won seven Wimbledon titles, five U.S. Open championships and two Australian Opens over the course of his illustrious career. Advertisement Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Dimitri Iundt/Corbis/VCG via Getty Pete Sampras in 1990 Pete Sampras in 1990 In recent years, Sampras has remained largely away from the public eye. Back in October 2023, he revealed that his wife Bridgette Wilson-Sampras had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In a statement released via the AP Tour on X, Sampras said, "As most have come to know, I am a pretty quiet and private person. However, this past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family, and I have decided to share what's been going on." Advertisement "Last December, my wife, Bridgette, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer," Sampras continued at the time. "Since then, she has had major surgery, pushed through chemotherapy and continues with targeted maintenance therapy." CAROL NEWSOM/AFP via Getty Pete Sampras after defeating Andre Agassi on Sept. 9, 1990 Pete Sampras after defeating Andre Agassi on Sept. 9, 1990 The tennis star further opened up about how "hard" it was to "watch someone you love go through a challenge like this," and praised the couple's sons, Christian and Ryan, for "stepping up" and being "such strong supporters" for their parents. Sampras also shared praise for Wilson-Sampras in his statement, calling her an "incredible mom and wife through it all." Advertisement Sampras has been with his wife, a former actress who starred in movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Wedding Planner, since 1999. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! The couple was introduced by former Los Angeles Lakers Vice President of Public Relations John Black. Sampras asked Black to connect him with Bridgette after seeing her in a film, which he shared in his 2008 book, A Champion's Mind. 'There was a bright spot to that otherwise terrible late summer — my injury was directly responsible for my wife and me meeting,' Sampras wrote. 'While I was hurt, I was watching this movie, Love Stinks, with a friend, John Black. Bridgette Wilson, an actress in the film, caught my eye. Actually, she blew me away when I saw her. I thought she was stunning.' Read the original article on People

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store