Met Gala Begins: Teyana Taylor, Emma Chamberlain, and Lewis Hamilton Shine on the Red Carpet

Kick off the year's grandest fashion extravaganza! A rainy Met Gala began on Monday with a choir dressed in tuxedos and a style adhering to the menswear theme: Emma Chamberlin, Zendaya, Teyana Taylor, and numerous other women wearing pinstripes and other classic male embellishments.

Chamberlain and Zuri Hall were some of those who sported sleek, stylish dresses that emphasize men’s suiting In pinstripe attire, they ascended the grand stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Zendaya, who hosted last year, sported a sharply cut white pantsuit complemented by a matching broad-rimmed hat.

The menswear vibe For women, adherence to these norms was both common and anticipated. “Women aimed at keeping their attire aligned with traditional notions of femininity while also honoring the event’s theme,” explained William Dingle, who serves as the director of style for blackmenswear.com—a firm dedicated to celebrating and empowering Black males through fashion.

The proposed dress code, "Customized for You," draws inspiration from Black dandyism. Taylor went for a stunning Zoot Suit look with a red, feather-adorned top hat and a huge matching cape dripping with flowers and bling. She collaborated with famed costumer designer Ruth E. Carter.

The Zoot was popularized in Harlem in the 1940s.

Colman Domingo, one of the evening's hosts, wore a pleated, gold adorned cape over a gray and black suit, his jacket a pearled windowpane design with a huge dotted black flower. His look, including his cape and a dotted black scarf at his neck, evoked the late André Leon Talley, the fashion icon who made history as a rare Black editor at Vogue.

Domingo, in Valentino, arrived with Vogue’s Anna Wintour, dressed in a baby blue coat over a shimmery white gown by Louis Vuitton, a gala sponsor. Fellow co-chair Lewis Hamilton donned a jaunty ivory tuxedo with a cropped jacket and matching beret.

Colman has personified modern dandyism through numerous styles over the years.

Pharrell Williams, who also served as a co-host, appeared modestly in a double-breasted, beaded tuxedo paired with dark pants. He maintained his dark sunglasses even when posing before the photographers. Pharrell strolled alongside his wife, Helen Lasichanh, who looked elegant in a black bodysuit complemented by a matching jacket.

Williams, who serves as the menswear creative director for Louis Vuitton, mentioned that his jacket featured 15,000 pearls arranged in a pinstripe pattern, and it required 400 hours of work to complete.

Diana Ross, meanwhile, swallowed the carpet in a huge white coat over a gold dress.

Walton Goggins, a guest this year with others from “The White Lotus,” wore a deconstructed suit look with seams out and a pleated skirt he twirled for the cameras.

LeBron James, the NBA superstar, was appointed as the honorary chair for the event but had to withdraw at the final moment because of a knee injury.

Other standout outfits at the Met Gala include

Monica L. Miller, who authored the book that was the inspiration for the event, sported a sparkling jeweled crop cape atop a gown decorated with cowrie shells designed by Grace Wales Bonner. This outfit directly mirrors an item featured in the accompanying Metropolitan Museum of Art spring exhibition that she co-curated.

Which other women have dominated the men's wear style? Coco Jones wore an ivory tuxedo coat featuring a train paired with coordinating pants, adorned with large embellishments.

Coco Jones definitely went all out," Dingle remarked. "I adore the pearl and gem decorations, along with the lengthy coat and the necklace. Given her height, the long coat makes her legs appear even longer. It's an outstanding ensemble.

Her appearance was designed by Indian creator Manish Malhotra. She mentioned her desire to pay tribute to Black excellence by pulling out all stops.

Sarah Snook, known from "Succession" and recently nominated for a Tony Award for her role in "The Picture of Dorian Gray," also hit the mark perfectly with her performance.

She’s wearing a tailored jacket with two buttons that resembles a tailcoat due to its satin fabric which creates a glossy effect. The piece also features a striking crimson lining for an added splash of color," explained Dingle. "The numerous brooches adorning the broad lapel catch my eye.

On the contrary, Gigi Hadid embraced a sophisticated allure. She channeled the essence of Josephine Baker with a gleaming gold halter dress from Miu Miu that accentuated her figure.

Which celebrity will be the host of the 2025 Met Gala?

This year, the fundraising gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is hosted by a group of Black male celebrities, including Domingo, Hamilton, Pharrell Williams, the musical artist and Louis Vuitton menswear director, and A$AP Rocky. LeBron James, the NBA superstar, was named honorary chair but bowed out at the last minute due to a knee injury. As always, hosts are joined by Wintour, the mastermind behind the gala, considered the year's biggest and starriest party.

Also guaranteed to show up is a second tier of hosts from a variety of worlds: athletes Simone Biles and husband Jonathan Owens; Angel Reese and Sha'Carri Richardson; filmmakers Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee and Regina King; actors Ayo Edebiri, Audra McDonald and Jeremy Pope; musicians Doechii, Usher, Tyla, Janelle Monáe and André 3000; author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; artists Jordan Casteel, Rashid Johnson and Kara Walker; playwrights Jeremy O. Harris and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins; and fashion figures Grace Wales Bonner, Edward Enninful, Dapper Dan and Olivier Rousteing.

The gala raises the bulk of the curation budget for the museum's Costume Institute.

This year's Met Gala dress code is...

It’s essentially a strong recommendation from Wintour. For this year, the focus is on tailoring and suiting as seen through the lens of Black dandyism throughout the Atlantic diaspora. The concept draws heavily from “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” a work penned by Monica L. Miller. She also serves as the guest curator for the exhibition.

Miller notes in the exhibition catalogue that historical expressions of dandyism span from meticulous attention to attire and craftsmanship to bold extravagance and opulence in fashion and aesthetics. He explains that regardless of whether a dandy is understated or dramatic, their deliberate choice in clothing, conscious presentation, pursuit of sartorial excellence, and occasionally rebellious personal expression are acknowledged and admired.

When it comes to fashion sense and personal style at these events, predicting how everything will look is uncertain. Wintour plays a role in almost every aspect of galas, leading people to believe that outfits won’t deviate much from expectations. Recently, she dismissed rumors about approving each appearance when she told “Good Morning America” that she would only offer her opinion if someone sought her input.

The exhibition titled "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" references additional resources apart from Miller’s publication. Structured into twelve segments, each part embodies an attribute of dandy fashion as outlined by Zora Neale Hurston in her 1934 essay “Characteristics of Negro Expression.”

Included among these elements are ownership, presence, distinctiveness, masquerade, liberty, respectability, and legacy. For those attendees at the grand affair who engage in thorough investigations (or delegate this task to professionals like stylists), several of these aspects may manifest prominently when they gather on the museum stairs serving as the venue’s red carpet.

Who else is going to show up?

The guest list includes around 450 prominent individuals from technology, athletics, arts, entertainment, and various fields. According to Williams, this diversity is essential.

"It’s crucial for me to see accomplished Black and Brown individuals across all fields present in the room—be they athletes, actors, actresses, or entertainment professionals—but we should also include writers, designers, and those working in financial technology sectors,” he shared with Vogue. “It’s essential that we support one another financially and personally; connecting with each other is vital as uniting our collective power will require everyone’s input to harness the brilliance of Black and Brown minds into an invincible and dependable entity.”

How much money does the Met Gala raise?

The gala had already raised a record $31 million, Metropolitan Museum of Art CEO Max Hollein said Monday — the first time the fundraiser for the Met's Costume Institute has crossed the $30 million mark and eclipsing last year's haul of more than $26 million.

READ MORE: Met Gala kicks off with Teyana Taylor, Emma Chamberlain and Lewis Hamilton

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