The dress code for the Met Gala 2025 has just been announced, along with the first batch of celebrity guests.
The upcoming show at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - which takes place on 5 May - will be titled, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style", and will explore dandyism in Black style and fashion, as inspired by Monica L. Miller's book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.
The exhibition will feature paintings, clothing, photographs, and more from artists such as Tyler Mitchell, Torkwase Dyson, André Grenard Matswa, and Tanda Francis, which will explore the indelible style of Black dandies, from the 18th century through to the present day.
The dress code this year will be "Tailored for You" and perfectly suits the exhibition!
While the dress code is sometimes taken as a mere suggestion by some celebrity guests, we're dying to see the many inspired interpretations on the classic suit - especially when it comes to menswear, which has blossomed in recent years and is become as exciting as an extravagant gown.
Dandies, which Milller described as "men who paid distinct and sometimes excessive attention to dress", will be front and centre in the exhibition, so expect plenty of eye-catching menswear and menswear-inspired looks on the night.
Famously held on the first Monday in May each year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City, the Met Gala is an annual fundraiser that provides Institute with its main source of funding for exhibitions and events.
The dazzling event sees designers buy tables at the gala, with each one inviting celebrities or influencers to represent them and their designs on the notorious Met steps. Each guest is personally approved by American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, making an invite one of the most hotly coveted tickets in the fashion world.
Those tickets come with a hefty price tag: The New York Times reports that one solitary ticket can go for $75,000, while a table for 10 costs up to $350,000. These funds go toward the Costume Institute's budget.
The co-chairs this year will be Pharrell Williams - who is currently the Creative Director of menswear for Louis Vuitton - alongside actor Colman Domingo, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, musician A$AP Rocky and Anna Wintour, with basketball star Lebron James acting as honorary co-chair.
However, joining the co-chairs this year will be the newly announced "host committee" - what the organisers called a longstanding tradition which will draw on a bevy of famous faces across a host of industries, each of which will weigh in on the festivities.
The host committee reads like its own list of gala invitees: actor and honorary Irishwoman Ayo Edebiri; musicians Doechii, Usher, and Janelle Monáe; author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; athletes Simone Biles, Jonathan Owens and Sha-Carri Richardson; Regina King, Spike Lee and Olivier Rousteing being just some of the celebrities added to the prestigious team.
The gala comes on the back of one of the most changeable times in recent fashion history, with a number of fashion houses shifting creative directors and launching rebrands. Our own Jonathan Anderson has been confirmed as the new head of menswear at Dior, and with his first collection due on 27 June , could we see a glimpse of the French houses's new look on the Met steps?
Similarly, Gucci - a favourite at the gala - is now being steered by Demna, the Georgian designer who stepped down as creative director for Balenciaga to take up the top spot in the Italian fashion house. Former creative director of Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy, also recently landed the highly coveted role of Artistic Director of the French brand.
What the designs will look like isn't the only mystery surrounding this year's ceremony. While the guest list is a closely guarded secret, some fashion outlets are reporting a number of confirmed celebrity attendees, such as Ariana Grande, Zendaya and Doja Cat. Other names rumoured to be on the list include Sydney Sweeney, Gigi Hadid and Florence Pugh.
Law Roach, celebrity stylist to stars like Zendaya and a tastemaker in his own right, will be attending as one of Burberry's guests. Could this mean Zendaya in a reworked trench coat by the British heritage brand? We'll just have to wait and see.
