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Buzz Feed
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Met Gala 2025: Details And Behind The Scenes Facts
So, uh, you may not have heard, but this super tiny, low-key event called the Met Gala happened recently. The 2025 theme was "Tailored For You," marking the opening of the Costume Institute exhibit Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. Alas, there are some details of the craftsmanship that went into each outfit that were bound to get lost in the shuffle. Fear not! I've compiled some of them for you right here: Teyana Taylor's look was designed by Ruth E. Carter, the costume designer behind Black Panther. "Harlem rose" is stitched into the train, a nod to the exhibit as well as her 2016 song "Rose in Harlem." Kim Kardashian's Chrome Hearts look was inspired by Lenny Kravitz, whom she referred to as a "modern dandy." She was styled by Jahleel Weaver, the same person who styled Rihanna for the night. Co-chair Lewis Hamilton's look by Grace Wales Bonner was inspired by a number of Black icons, including Cab Calloway in Harlem Night and André Leon Talley. It includes baobab flowers, which symbolize strength and resilience in many African cultures. Tessa Thompson's Prabal Gurung look also included a tribute to André Leon Talley, with the dandy icon appearing on her fan. Zoe Saldaña's Thom Browne look is actually covered in white bugle beads — around 2.7 million of them. Cynthia Erivo's acrylic nails were made by an artist called Mycah Dior. They took two days and feature classic motifs of menswear, such as pocket squares, buttons, and ties. Playwright Jeremy O. Harris wore a ring by jeweler Benjamin Hawkins, which includes a portrait of him inspired by 19th-century images of Black dandies. Engraving under the enamel further references Frederick Douglas's cane. Chappell Roan worked with Wicked costume director Paul Tazewell to find upcycled clothing from eBay for her look. Jenna Ortega's Balmain dress is made out of metal rulers used by patternmakers and sculpted over mesh. Gigi Hadid's Miu Miu dress was inspired by Zelda Wynn Valdes, a renowned Black designer. As she said on the red carpet, "The dress is a celebration of Zelda — this is a dress maybe she would have designed for me, combining both tailoring and glamour.' Co-chair Colman Domingo's Valentino looks were a journey through history. The cape — blue, as it was his mother's favorite color — pays homage to the Moors. Without the cape, the look evokes the Harlem Renaissance. Whitney Peak's nails, made by nail artist Betina R. Goldstein, included a handmade, painted cigarette. Ayo Edebiri's Ferragamo look was inspired by her father, whom she called "one of the dandiest men" she knows. The glass beads are there to evoke coral, which often features on Nigerian clothing (including those worn by her father). Apparently, her dad even got married wearing leather pants and tails. Diana Ross's look was designed by her son Evan and Nigerian designer Ugo Mozie. The names of her children and grandchildren are embroidered into the 18-foot train. Finally, Janelle Monae's Thom Browne look includes a motorized monocle that moves a second per step. Which looks were your fave? LMK in the comments!
Boston Globe
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Fine & dandy: Black style is bigger than the Met
The Zendaya at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on Monday in New York. Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Dandyism is fashion as expression, as declaration, as fit, as form, and a call to attention. Dandyism is indulging your muchness as never too much at all with a refinery that commands one see you. Advertisement Capes, colors, fabrics you can feel and feel again, and fit specific to your body, your way. More importantly – your choice. Autonomy. Expression. Movement. All yours. Historically, we were denied this basic human right. Our Blackness is ours, something we always carry with us. It's not an outfit we take on and off. André Leon Talley, the late, sartorial king and first Black creative director of Vogue, understood this as a six-foot-seven Black man and often the only Black person on the front row of esteemed fashion shows. How I wish he could have been alive to see the gala in Black, to see the four Black men co-chairing it, and the Advertisement 'As far as Blackness is a concern, I want to address this: My Blackness is paramount to me as a man. My Blackness is always uppermost in my life,' he '... I'm aware I'm a Black individual who came from enslaved people from Africa, who was a descendant of great, great generations of talent and geniuses, and people of color who are great masters in fields of science, art, literature, politics.' Andre Leon Talley arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala benefit, celebrating the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" exhibition in 2011 in New York. Evan Agostini/Associated Press We carry this in the closet of our consciousness. The highs and the lows of our history and our now. While celebrities walked the red carpets celebrating Black style, our schools, museums, and nonprofits are being forced to turn away from diversity, equity, and inclusion or risk federal funding, lawsuits, and more. Erasure is targeting our identities, our historic truths, how we honor and remember one another. To celebrate cultural differences and teach history that addresses racism and racial realities in this country is being rewritten as 'Anti-American ideology.' This is the kind of propaganda that was historically used to detach Black people and nonwhite folks from their humanity, from their citizenship, from the right to respect. In the Jim Crow era, there was an intentional effort to deny Black dignity by creating tropes of Sambos and Sapphires, of Mammies and Mandigos, of Savages and Jezebels. All given various uniforms and characteristics in an attempt to abase us. We could dismiss this as a practice of the past but we see how it follows us into the now when we remember 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was described by George Zimmerman as a suspicious guy in a dark hoodie. Martin was simply walking while Black and wearing a hoodie. Advertisement A Black boy dressed a certain way. A Black boy enjoying the luxury of casual comfortability. A Black boy carrying candy and tea when he was stalked through his neighborhood and defended himself against the perpetrator, only to be murdered. The clothes of Black folk have always been connected to arming and disarming. Slave codes dictated what enslaved people could wear, referred to as ' coarse, cheap, and dull fabrics. Our people had to make their own with what was given. And make our own is what we did. Colman Domingo at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on Monday in New York. Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Our ancestors countered that by creating an armor of what was considered distinguished and dignified, and making it our own. Frederick Douglass became the most photographed man of the 19th century on purpose: overcoats and tailored three-piece suits. Taking what was denied, shedding what was forced, and portraying power. He created a new Black image. He evoked Black dignity. In time, we dared to be playful with personalized fashion. Zoot suits. Feathers. Flourish. The bold colors, textures, accessories, and shapes of the Harlem Renaissance are undeniable, often referenced and replicated on runways today. Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, we saw how fashion sent a message. The Sunday's Best finest church clothes of protesters led by Martin Luther King Jr. defied the unruly and inhumane narratives institutional players tried to assign us. With the Black Panther Party, leather signified strength and resistance. With hip-hop culture came the freedom to demand respect regardless of class or clothing. A mix of fine tailoring and streetwear, sneakers and suits, furs and denim, polos and Timberland boots meant there were no restrictions. The one rule is to be cool with who you are, to understand that to simply be yourself in whatever you wear should command basic human decency over stereotypes. Advertisement Fashion changes and changes again. But throughout time, what we wear as a language remains. To define, for yourself, what is luxury and believe it so boldly that the masses follow your trend. In the tradition of dandyism, there is a throughline of subverting the politics of respectability and dressing freely. Dandyism is confidence and defiance of everything that told you to be small and quiet and controlled. It's not as simple as bespoke tailoring and couture we can't afford. It is to be outspoken in your personhood and loud in your liberation. Rihanna (left) and A$AP Rocky attended The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" exhibition on Monday in New York. Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP This piece is a part of , a weekly offering from Jeneé Osterheldt celebrating Black joy, resistance, and sharing space with other folks, too. Jeneé Osterheldt can be reached at
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In pinstripes and hats, with canes and twists on suiting, Met Gala crowd largely did menswear proud
NEW YORK (AP) — Pinstripes. All Ways. Hats galore. Pantsuits. Gown suits. Zoot suits. Canes. A single cigar (looking at you Madonna) — and expert displays of tailoring. The Met Gala crowd, for the most part, did the Black dandy menswear theme proud at fashion's biggest party of the year. 'Those that researched the moment and pulled inspiration from history made it modern and their own. I loved it,' said Holly Alford, assistant dean and an associate professor in the fashion and merchandising program at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. Among her favorites: Colman Domingo's homage to dandy icon André Leon Talley. It was one of many that honored the towering fashion figure, a rare Black fashion editor in a largely white industry. And among others in odes to Talley, who died in 2022, were Anne Hathaway in a Carolina Herrera dress she picked specifically for him. 'We wanted André Leon Talley to look down from heaven and scream 'GLAMOUR,'' Hathaway said on the Vogue livestream Monday night. Inventive glamour energy of the night A glamourous night it was, and an inventive one at that amid a broad White House siege on DEI programs and protections that serve immigrants, LGBTQ+ people and myriad others. What does that have to do with fashion and the theme this year? Everything, in terms of Black power, ownership, heritage and, most importantly, freedom. What, exactly, was the suggested dress code? It was 'Tailored for You,' inspired by Black dandyism through time, the subject of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's spring show at its Costume Institute. On the blue carpet, a bit soggy from drenching rain, guests played with the fundamentals of fashion to make their looks their own with the help of designers and stylists. And many honored their heritages in special touches like the cowrie shells on the cuffs of Lewis Hamilton's Wales Bonner jacket. The shells pay homage to Black diasporic culture, to spirituality, to memory, said Rikki Byrd, assistant professor of Visual Culture Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and founder of the Black Fashion Archive. Tessa Thompson honored Talley with a fan adorned with his image. 'It's representative of a church fan and Andre Leon Talley often talked about his first introduction to fashion was through his church,' Byrd said. Teyana Taylor was a standout for Shantrelle P. Lewis, author of 'Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style.' With her cane, in her red velvet cape, "she understood the assignment,' Lewis said. Taylor's cape was emblazoned with her nickname in honor of her home turf: 'Harlem Rose.' And she, like Swizz Beatz, donned a durag. Some underwhelmed by how guests did Lewis, who has been seminal in understanding dandyism, said the attire on the carpet was generally underwhelming. 'The lack of color, the lack of African print, even the absence of African designers. I said, 'Where is the Black dandyism,'" she said. 'No sartorial risks were taken.' Big risks? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Brandon Tan, fashion director for Cosmopolitan, was satisfied. 'A classic silhouette can be completely reimagined by something as simple as the color and fabrication of the textile, as seen on Henry Golding,' he said. 'Inversely, a very classic grey wool can be totally remixed by the cut and silhouette like Walton Goggins' kilt look by Thom Browne.' Who missed the boat altogether? A few simply showed up in comparatively routine black tuxedoes (hello James Corden) and questionable spins on the theme (Sorry, Halle Berry, but that was a lot of skin in the crotch area). Coattails of varying lengths were a huge trend amid the sea of hats and head pieces anticipated ahead of the gala that brought together A-listers from the worlds of sports, entertainment, music, art, literature, politics and more to raise money for the Costume Institute. Black and white looks carried the night, with enough pops of color to keep it interesting. Colman Domingo and his many fans Kevin Huynh, InStyle's fashion director, also praised Domingo, who wore a huge Talley-esque collared blue cape first, then ditched the cape to reveal a pearled window pain jacket he wore with dot accessories. 'As the undisputed king of the red carpet, his regal look was beyond appropriate for the night's theme,' Huynh said. 'He fully embodied the spirit of dandyism in not one but two statement-making looks from Valentino, and he aced it in terms of being unapologetically bold and flawlessly fanciful.' That 'fearlessness and individuality,' he said, is what the night was all about. 'After a marathon awards season run, his Met Gala red carpet reveal was well worth the wait. From the moment he stepped out of The Carlyle draped in a jewel-toned Valentino cape, it was clear that more was coming,' said Claire Stern Milch, Elle's digital director. 'And when he finally arrived on the steps, his custom three-piece zoot suit, also designed by Alessandro Michele, was a playful and sophisticated nod to the theme,' she added. Milch called Domingo's oversized polka dot flower on one lapel undoubtedly the highlight. The look, she said, was the 'perfect marriage of classic tailoring and avant-garde flair.' Nikki Ogunnaike, editor in chief of Marie Claire, noted that suiting of all kinds wasn't a huge surprise, considering the style guidance from Vogue's Anna Wintour, who puts the gala together each year. 'My favorites included Ayo Edebiri in Ferragamo, Tracee Ellis Ross in Marc Jacobs, Zendaya and Lisa in Louis Vuitton, Coleman Domingo in Valentino and Mindy Kaling in Harbison, all of whom interpreted dandyism and suiting in their own unique way,' she said. Athletes turned out at 2025 Met Gala Athletes, meanwhile, also took the spotlight. Tailoring for them is a special craft that Tom Marchitelli, custom menswear designer and stylist, takes into consideration with all the suits he creates for NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball players. 'These guys have these superhero builds, as I like to say, and they can't walk into any store on Fifth Ave, in Rodeo, anywhere and just pick out a suit off the rack to fit them,' he said. Marchitelli said he appreciated the clean form-fitting looks on Philadelphia Eagles players Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. 'To have this many athletes showcased, I think that says a lot about how important sport is to culture, pop culture in America, how influential the athletes are,' he said. Black designers represented The night's vibe was inspired by the exhibit called 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.' It's the first Costume Institute show to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first in more than 20 years devoted to menswear. Big-time Black designers and smaller brands of creatives of color were represented on the carpet. They included Sergio Hudson, LaQuan Smith and Ozwald Boateng, a former wunderkind of Savile Row. Others who were not so much So who are some others who blew it, or didn't even try to spin the theme? Blackpink's Lisa (Manobal) might have walked the line in her look by Vuitton, a gala sponsor. She went pantless with little faces on black undies to go with her matching jacket and LV logo sheer stockings. Some on social media thought the faces were Rosa Parks. They weren't, a representative told The Cut, explaining they were 'portraits of figures who have been a part of the artist's life.' OK. So it goes. Undie portraits might not be a good idea in general. As for Corden, The Cut posted a video of him in his mere mortal look and viewers threw some barbs, including one who called him 'James Boredon' giving 'a total snooze fest per usual.' Ouch, James. ___ For more coverage of the 2025 Met Gala, visit
Hamilton Spectator
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
In pinstripes and hats, with canes and twists on suiting, Met Gala crowd largely did menswear proud
NEW YORK (AP) — Pinstripes. All Ways. Hats galore. Pantsuits. Gown suits. Zoot suits. Canes. A single cigar (looking at you Madonna) — and expert displays of tailoring. The Met Gala crowd, for the most part, did the Black dandy menswear theme proud at fashion's biggest party of the year. 'Those that researched the moment and pulled inspiration from history made it modern and their own. I loved it,' said Holly Alford, assistant dean and an associate professor in the fashion and merchandising program at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. Among her favorites: Colman Domingo's homage to dandy icon André Leon Talley. It was one of many that honored the towering fashion figure, a rare Black fashion editor in a largely white industry. And among others in odes to Talley, who died in 2022, were Anne Hathaway in a Carolina Herrera dress she picked specifically for him. 'We wanted André Leon Talley to look down from heaven and scream 'GLAMOUR,'' Hathaway said on the Vogue livestream Monday night. Inventive glamour energy of the night A glamourous night it was, and an inventive one at that amid a broad White House siege on DEI programs and protections that serve immigrants, LGBTQ+ people and myriad others. What does that have to do with fashion and the theme this year? Everything, in terms of Black power, ownership, heritage and, most importantly, freedom. What, exactly, was the suggested dress code? It was 'Tailored for You,' inspired by Black dandyism through time, the subject of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's spring show at its Costume Institute. On the blue carpet, a bit soggy from drenching rain, guests played with the fundamentals of fashion to make their looks their own with the help of designers and stylists. And many honored their heritages in special touches like the cowrie shells on the cuffs of Lewis Hamilton's Wales Bonner jacket. The shells pay homage to Black diasporic culture, to spirituality, to memory, said Rikki Byrd, assistant professor of Visual Culture Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and founder of the Black Fashion Archive. Tessa Thompson honored Talley with a fan adorned with his image. 'It's representative of a church fan and Andre Leon Talley often talked about his first introduction to fashion was through his church,' Byrd said. Teyana Taylor was a standout for Shantrelle P. Lewis, author of 'Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style.' With her cane, in her red velvet cape, 'she understood the assignment,' Lewis said. Taylor's cape was emblazoned with her nickname in honor of her home turf: 'Harlem Rose.' And she, like Swizz Beatz, donned a durag. Some underwhelmed by how guests did Lewis, who has been seminal in understanding dandyism, said the attire on the carpet was generally underwhelming. 'The lack of color, the lack of African print, even the absence of African designers. I said, 'Where is the Black dandyism,'' she said. 'No sartorial risks were taken.' Big risks? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Brandon Tan, fashion director for Cosmopolitan, was satisfied. 'A classic silhouette can be completely reimagined by something as simple as the color and fabrication of the textile, as seen on Henry Golding,' he said. 'Inversely, a very classic grey wool can be totally remixed by the cut and silhouette like Walton Goggins' kilt look by Thom Browne.' Who missed the boat altogether? A few simply showed up in comparatively routine black tuxedoes (hello James Corden) and questionable spins on the theme (Sorry, Halle Berry, but that was a lot of skin in the crotch area). Coattails of varying lengths were a huge trend amid the sea of hats and head pieces anticipated ahead of the gala that brought together A-listers from the worlds of sports, entertainment, music, art, literature, politics and more to raise money for the Costume Institute. Black and white looks carried the night, with enough pops of color to keep it interesting. Colman Domingo and his many fans Kevin Huynh, InStyle's fashion director, also praised Domingo, who wore a huge Talley-esque collared blue cape first, then ditched the cape to reveal a pearled window pain jacket he wore with dot accessories. 'As the undisputed king of the red carpet, his regal look was beyond appropriate for the night's theme,' Huynh said. 'He fully embodied the spirit of dandyism in not one but two statement-making looks from Valentino, and he aced it in terms of being unapologetically bold and flawlessly fanciful.' That 'fearlessness and individuality,' he said, is what the night was all about. 'After a marathon awards season run, his Met Gala red carpet reveal was well worth the wait. From the moment he stepped out of The Carlyle draped in a jewel-toned Valentino cape, it was clear that more was coming,' said Claire Stern Milch, Elle's digital director. 'And when he finally arrived on the steps, his custom three-piece zoot suit, also designed by Alessandro Michele, was a playful and sophisticated nod to the theme,' she added. Milch called Domingo's oversized polka dot flower on one lapel undoubtedly the highlight. The look, she said, was the 'perfect marriage of classic tailoring and avant-garde flair.' Nikki Ogunnaike, editor in chief of Marie Claire, noted that suiting of all kinds wasn't a huge surprise, considering the style guidance from Vogue's Anna Wintour, who puts the gala together each year. 'My favorites included Ayo Edebiri in Ferragamo, Tracee Ellis Ross in Marc Jacobs, Zendaya and Lisa in Louis Vuitton, Coleman Domingo in Valentino and Mindy Kaling in Harbison, all of whom interpreted dandyism and suiting in their own unique way,' she said. Athletes turned out at 2025 Met Gala Athletes, meanwhile, also took the spotlight. Tailoring for them is a special craft that Tom Marchitelli, custom menswear designer and stylist, takes into consideration with all the suits he creates for NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball players. 'These guys have these superhero builds, as I like to say, and they can't walk into any store on Fifth Ave, in Rodeo, anywhere and just pick out a suit off the rack to fit them,' he said. Marchitelli said he appreciated the clean form-fitting looks on Philadelphia Eagles players Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley . 'To have this many athletes showcased, I think that says a lot about how important sport is to culture, pop culture in America, how influential the athletes are,' he said. Black designers represented The night's vibe was inspired by the exhibit called 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.' It's the first Costume Institute show to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first in more than 20 years devoted to menswear. Big-time Black designers and smaller brands of creatives of color were represented on the carpet. They included Sergio Hudson, LaQuan Smith and Ozwald Boateng, a former wunderkind of Savile Row. Others who were not so much So who are some others who blew it, or didn't even try to spin the theme? Blackpink's Lisa (Manobal) might have walked the line in her look by Vuitton, a gala sponsor. She went pantless with little faces on black undies to go with her matching jacket and LV logo sheer stockings. Some on social media thought the faces were Rosa Parks. They weren't, a representative told The Cut, explaining they were 'portraits of figures who have been a part of the artist's life.' OK. So it goes. Undie portraits might not be a good idea in general. As for Corden, The Cut posted a video of him in his mere mortal look and viewers threw some barbs, including one who called him 'James Boredon' giving 'a total snooze fest per usual.' Ouch, James. ___ For more coverage of the 2025 Met Gala, visit
Winnipeg Free Press
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
In pinstripes and hats, with canes and twists on suiting, Met Gala crowd largely did menswear proud
NEW YORK (AP) — Pinstripes. All Ways. Hats galore. Pantsuits. Gown suits. Zoot suits. Canes. A single cigar (looking at you Madonna) — and expert displays of tailoring. The Met Gala crowd, for the most part, did the Black dandy menswear theme proud at fashion's biggest party of the year. 'Those that researched the moment and pulled inspiration from history made it modern and their own. I loved it,' said Holly Alford, assistant dean and an associate professor in the fashion and merchandising program at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. Among her favorites: Colman Domingo's homage to dandy icon André Leon Talley. It was one of many that honored the towering fashion figure, a rare Black fashion editor in a largely white industry. And among others in odes to Talley, who died in 2022, were Anne Hathaway in a Carolina Herrera dress she picked specifically for him. This combination photo shows Colman Domingo at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) 'We wanted André Leon Talley to look down from heaven and scream 'GLAMOUR,'' Hathaway said on the Vogue livestream Monday night. Inventive glamour energy of the night A glamourous night it was, and an inventive one at that amid a broad White House siege on DEI programs and protections that serve immigrants, LGBTQ+ people and myriad others. What does that have to do with fashion and the theme this year? Everything, in terms of Black power, ownership, heritage and, most importantly, freedom. What, exactly, was the suggested dress code? It was 'Tailored for You,' inspired by Black dandyism through time, the subject of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's spring show at its Costume Institute. On the blue carpet, a bit soggy from drenching rain, guests played with the fundamentals of fashion to make their looks their own with the help of designers and stylists. And many honored their heritages in special touches like the cowrie shells on the cuffs of Lewis Hamilton's Wales Bonner jacket. The shells pay homage to Black diasporic culture, to spirituality, to memory, said Rikki Byrd, assistant professor of Visual Culture Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and founder of the Black Fashion Archive. Tessa Thompson honored Talley with a fan adorned with his image. 'It's representative of a church fan and Andre Leon Talley often talked about his first introduction to fashion was through his church,' Byrd said. Teyana Taylor was a standout for Shantrelle P. Lewis, author of 'Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style.' With her cane, in her red velvet cape, 'she understood the assignment,' Lewis said. Taylor's cape was emblazoned with her nickname in honor of her home turf: 'Harlem Rose.' And she, like Swizz Beatz, donned a durag. Some underwhelmed by how guests did Lewis, who has been seminal in understanding dandyism, said the attire on the carpet was generally underwhelming. 'The lack of color, the lack of African print, even the absence of African designers. I said, 'Where is the Black dandyism,'' she said. 'No sartorial risks were taken.' Big risks? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Brandon Tan, fashion director for Cosmopolitan, was satisfied. 'A classic silhouette can be completely reimagined by something as simple as the color and fabrication of the textile, as seen on Henry Golding,' he said. 'Inversely, a very classic grey wool can be totally remixed by the cut and silhouette like Walton Goggins' kilt look by Thom Browne.' Who missed the boat altogether? A few simply showed up in comparatively routine black tuxedoes (hello James Corden) and questionable spins on the theme (Sorry, Halle Berry, but that was a lot of skin in the crotch area). Coattails of varying lengths were a huge trend amid the sea of hats and head pieces anticipated ahead of the gala that brought together A-listers from the worlds of sports, entertainment, music, art, literature, politics and more to raise money for the Costume Institute. Black and white looks carried the night, with enough pops of color to keep it interesting. Colman Domingo and his many fans Kevin Huynh, InStyle's fashion director, also praised Domingo, who wore a huge Talley-esque collared blue cape first, then ditched the cape to reveal a pearled window pain jacket he wore with dot accessories. 'As the undisputed king of the red carpet, his regal look was beyond appropriate for the night's theme,' Huynh said. 'He fully embodied the spirit of dandyism in not one but two statement-making looks from Valentino, and he aced it in terms of being unapologetically bold and flawlessly fanciful.' That 'fearlessness and individuality,' he said, is what the night was all about. 'After a marathon awards season run, his Met Gala red carpet reveal was well worth the wait. From the moment he stepped out of The Carlyle draped in a jewel-toned Valentino cape, it was clear that more was coming,' said Claire Stern Milch, Elle's digital director. 'And when he finally arrived on the steps, his custom three-piece zoot suit, also designed by Alessandro Michele, was a playful and sophisticated nod to the theme,' she added. Milch called Domingo's oversized polka dot flower on one lapel undoubtedly the highlight. The look, she said, was the 'perfect marriage of classic tailoring and avant-garde flair.' Nikki Ogunnaike, editor in chief of Marie Claire, noted that suiting of all kinds wasn't a huge surprise, considering the style guidance from Vogue's Anna Wintour, who puts the gala together each year. 'My favorites included Ayo Edebiri in Ferragamo, Tracee Ellis Ross in Marc Jacobs, Zendaya and Lisa in Louis Vuitton, Coleman Domingo in Valentino and Mindy Kaling in Harbison, all of whom interpreted dandyism and suiting in their own unique way,' she said. Athletes turned out at 2025 Met Gala Athletes, meanwhile, also took the spotlight. Tailoring for them is a special craft that Tom Marchitelli, custom menswear designer and stylist, takes into consideration with all the suits he creates for NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball players. 'These guys have these superhero builds, as I like to say, and they can't walk into any store on Fifth Ave, in Rodeo, anywhere and just pick out a suit off the rack to fit them,' he said. Marchitelli said he appreciated the clean form-fitting looks on Philadelphia Eagles players Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. 'To have this many athletes showcased, I think that says a lot about how important sport is to culture, pop culture in America, how influential the athletes are,' he said. Black designers represented The night's vibe was inspired by the exhibit called 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.' It's the first Costume Institute show to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first in more than 20 years devoted to menswear. Big-time Black designers and smaller brands of creatives of color were represented on the carpet. They included Sergio Hudson, LaQuan Smith and Ozwald Boateng, a former wunderkind of Savile Row. Others who were not so much So who are some others who blew it, or didn't even try to spin the theme? Blackpink's Lisa (Manobal) might have walked the line in her look by Vuitton, a gala sponsor. She went pantless with little faces on black undies to go with her matching jacket and LV logo sheer stockings. Some on social media thought the faces were Rosa Parks. They weren't, a representative told The Cut, explaining they were 'portraits of figures who have been a part of the artist's life.' Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up OK. So it goes. Undie portraits might not be a good idea in general. As for Corden, The Cut posted a video of him in his mere mortal look and viewers threw some barbs, including one who called him 'James Boredon' giving 'a total snooze fest per usual.' Ouch, James. ___ For more coverage of the 2025 Met Gala, visit
