06-05-2025
Tems's Met Gala 2025 Look by Ozwald Boateng Is a Powerful Homage to Black Dandyism
Tems's Met Gala debut in 2023 immediately cemented her reputation as one of the foremost headturners at fashion's biggest night out. Back then, she opted for a subtly avant-garde gown by London-based couturier Robert Wun, complete with elbow-length opera gloves and a trademark extravagant headdress made of quivering coque plumes. Having set the bar so high back then–and having sat out last year's event–expectations for her appearance at the 2025 Met Gala were always high. True to form, though, the Nigerian singer-songwriter more than fulfilled them, delivering a look that's as spellbindingly elegant as it is bang on theme.
Tems wearing Ozwald Boateng at the 2025 Met year, Tems was among a coterie of attendees who sported custom looks by Ozwald Boateng, the British designer of Ghanaian heritage whose suiting-forward designs feature prominently in 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style'–as well as on the current cover of American Vogue, where A$AP Rocky can be seen in one of Boateng's immaculately-cut suits. Other stars that opted for a custom look by the designer for the red carpet include fellow Nigerian recording artists Burna Boy and Ayra Starr.
Tems's look–a deep blue shirt dress with a subtle green print echoed in her neck tie, hair ribbon and umbrella–harked back to a milestone moment for Boateng: the unveiling of his first full womenswear collection at New York's Apollo Theater in 2019, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. The birthplace of many a legendary career, the Apollo played host to the likes of Duke Ellington, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. 'I wanted to celebrate this amazing place because a big chunk of African-American history sits on this stage,' Boateng told Vogue at the time. 'To be a part of that for even a nanosecond is deeply profound.'
See All of the Celebrity Looks From the Met Gala 2025 Red Carpet:
