Latest news with #TailoringBlack
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 'peacock of Savile Row' on dressing stars for the Met Gala
Ozwald Boateng, celebrating four decades of making his indelible mark on the fashion industry, got his chance to stamp his style on the Met Gala in New York earlier this month. The esteemed British-Ghanaian designer for the first time dressed celebrities - including three of Africa's biggest musicians, Tems, Burna Boy and Arya Starr, as well as actors Ncuti Gatwa and Jaden Smith - at what is seen as his industry's biggest night of the year. The theme - Superfine: Tailoring Black Style - was "completely in my wheelhouse", he says, as it looked at the way that style formed black identities. Given that he already has a robust legacy in the design world, the 58-year-old saw the opportunity to find fresh adherents to the Boateng look. "I think it's, in a way, communicating to a new audience," he tells the BBC a few days after the showcase. Throughout his 40 years in fashion, the designer has built a reputation for challenging the norms of men's tailoring. His eponymous brand sells form-fitting, stylish suits, often accented with bold colours and West African-inspired patterns. The son of Ghanaian immigrants, Boateng reimagined the country's iconic kente cloth to produce his signature "tribal" pattern. "It's all about having a strong concept, having a thorough idea of what you want to achieve from the textiles," he says. The Met Gala perfectly matched his outlook. "Being a theme about black culture and black cultural influence, I mean, how can you do that without Africa?" he asks. Considering the link to Ghana, Boateng explains: "When we were colonised by the Europeans or the Brits, we kept our traditional dress, but tailoring was a big part of how we dressed to look more... effectively more European. "My father always wore tailored suits. You had to be smart at all times, that was something I was taught." As if producing outfits for 16 celebrities for fashion's premier event was not stressful enough, Boateng switched up Burna Boy's outfit less than 24 hours before the event. "We did his fitting quite literally the night before the Met Gala," Boateng says, adding that everyone in the room got "really excited" when they saw the Grammy-award winning musician in the finished product. The look - a red suit paired with a buttercup yellow shirt and eel-skin cape - was partly inspired by Burna Boy's Nigerian roots. The musician told Vogue: "As a waterside pikin [Pidgin for "child"] from the Niger Delta, the eel and fish in general are the lifeblood of my people - they symbolise survival, spirit and the flow of tradition through generations." The Met Gala was "not unusual", Boateng says, explaining that Africa has been part of his "message" throughout his career. Back in 1995, Boateng was the first black designer to open a shop on Savile Row, a London street famed for fine tailoring. "When I first started as a designer, Savile as a street was a dying street," Boateng recalls. "The concept, it was dying. I effectively moved there in the early 90s and breathed new life into it." Boateng was dubbed the "peacock of Savile Row" - with his flamboyance, 6ft-something frame and modelesque facial features, he stood out among his neighbours. Colour and flair had long been part of Boateng's psyche. At five years old his favourite outfit was a purple, mohair suit made by his mother, who was a seamstress. Young Boateng commandeered his mother's sewing machine and although he initially chose to study computing at college, he switched to fashion after realising menswear was his future. As a teenager, Boateng was greatly inspired by tailoring titan Giorgio Armani - and decades later, Armani would praise the London designer for his "elegance" and "cutting edge" designs. Boateng opened his first studio in his early 20s, dressing the likes of Mick Jagger, Jimmy Paige and Spike Lee. He then opened his Savile Row store - at the age of 28 he was the youngest to ever do so. The burgeoning designer captivated London's fashion scene initially, but in 1998 he went bankrupt when an economic downturn in east Asia scuppered a major order. Both his professional and personal life descended into disarray - in just 12 months an entire collection was stolen from his studio and his marriage broke down. But the peacock strutted his way back. Boateng gradually rebuilt his business and in 2002 moved into bigger premises on Savile Row. Since then, he has served as Givency's creative director for menswear, been awarded an OBE, designed staff uniforms for British Airways and branched out into womenswear. While racking up professional and charitable commitments, Boateng was raising two children. Now adults, Oscar and Emilia Boateng accompanied their father to the Met Gala, dressed in the suits that made their surname one of the most famous in contemporary British tailoring. They are not, however, keen to follow their father into fashion design. "I'm trying to slowly but surely seduce them into the fashion business," Boateng jokes. "It is ultimately their decision to decide what they want from their life. If they find something they're passionate about in a way I have, I am happy." And what is next for his own passion? Boateng might have a brain brimming with concepts, but he has a clear vision of where he wants his brand to go next. "The future is expansion," he says, "raising capital to really, really push the brand globally". "I think it's the moment in time - and it's the right moment." Kente - the Ghanaian cloth that's on the catwalk How luxury African fashion has wowed Europe's catwalks Grandma with chunky sunglasses becomes unlikely fashion icon Turning the iconic Ghana Must Go bag into high fashion Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
News18
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
BLACKPINK's Jennie Pays Tribute To Coco Chanel With Her Classic Tuxedo At 2025 Met Gala
BLACKPINK's Jennie turned heads once again at the 2025 Met Gala with a sharp black tuxedo gown. This look, a tribute to the iconic designer Coco Chanel, marks her third appearance at the prestigious event. Jennie first wowed fans at the 2023 Met Gala in a vintage Chanel minidress, followed by a bold Alaia gown in 2024. Following the 2025 theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, and the dress code Tailored for You, the South Korean singer chose a stunning black and white outfit, which she paired with the brand's signature white camellia flower. Jennie first took over the spotlight at The Carlyle Hotel before confidently posing on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan. Jennie chose an elegant off-shoulder long-sleeved dress for the event, featuring a pearl chain and a flowing skirt that opened at the front, which she paired with black heels and a hat. Keeping her makeup minimal, the singer's overall appearance was sophisticated, letting her outfit do all the talking.
Metro
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Pro-Palestine demonstrators clash with police outside Met Gala 2025
As Hollywood descends on the 2025 Met Gala for an evening of high fashion and elaborate celebrations, pro-Palestine protests have been raging close by. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour returns to oversee this year's Costume Institute fundraiser, with Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, and LeBron James as co-chairs. The theme is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, with some of the biggest names in film, TV, and music donning their finery to honour 'the importance of clothing and style to the formation of Black identities'. While A-listers gathered inside the museum, however, demonstrators took over a nearby street in New York City. Congregating at 1100 Madison Avenue, the protesters held up banners emblazoned with the 'Free Palestine' slogan. Flags were also waved as rain poured down and police officers intervened. Photos show some being escorted away from the group by cops, while others remain behind railings, shouting passionately. It's believed the protests began a couple of hours before celebs arrived at the Met, and the atmosphere became tense pretty early on. More Trending Footage shows some attempting to push past barricades, prompting NYPD to move in. Counter-protesters later joined with Israeli flags. They also sang Am Yisrael Chai, a Hebrew anthem meaning 'The people of Israel will live'. The Met Gala is no stranger to a demonstration. Last year, a similar protest saw over 1,000 marchers stopped by police before reaching the museum. Smoke bombs and flares were set off while others managed to evade cops before looping back around. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Rihanna expecting third child with A$AP Rocky as she debuts baby bump at Met Gala MORE: You can actually bet on Gemma Collins to be the next James Bond MORE: Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz 'snub' Met Gala as they lie low during family 'feud'
