Arts & Entertainment

Met Gala 2025: Inside The Costume Institute's Exhibit On Dandyism

See photos from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's fashion exhibit, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" and dandyism in menswear.

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Designs are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in New York.
Designs are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK CITY, NY-- The first Monday in May always culminates with the star-studded Met Gala at the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year's fashion exhibit by the Costume Institute is titled "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style".

This is the Costume Institute's first exhibit to focus exclusively on Black designers and the first in several decades devoted solely to menswear. The fashion showcase is set to feature several up-and-coming designers.

The overall unifying theme of the exhibit is dandyism, and how designers have implemented that ideology and Black style through history. As described by Brooklyn designer Jacques Agbobly who has work featured in the show, dandyism is “about taking space. As a Black designer, as a queer person, a lot of it is rooted in people telling us who we should be or how we should act … dandyism really goes against that. It’s about showing up and looking your best self and taking up space and announcing that you're here.”

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In addition to Agobobly, several other designers can be seen on display in the exhibit, including Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton, Grace Wales Bonner and Dapper Dan.

The fashion exhibit will be open to the public on May 10th.

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See photos below from the 2025 Costume Institute's exhibit Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. Make sure to check out the live feed of the Met Gala at 6P.M. ET.

A livery coat and waistcoat worn by and enslaved servant, left, and a Brooks Brothers coat worn by an enslaved child are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
A design by Grace Wales Bonner is on display. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Zoot suits were a common choice of outfit in the twentieth century in the evolution of dandyism. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Designed by Jacques Agbobly, pops of color are usually featured in the dandyism style. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Designs are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
PUMA sneakers and a hat worn by Walt Frazier are encased in a glass cube. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Athleisure by Saul Nash can be seen on display at the Costume Institute's exhibit. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Patterned wool suits by Jeffrey Banks help illustrate the elevated sophisticated nature dandyism often takes on. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
A design by Daniel Gayle and James Bosley for Denzilpatrick is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
A suit by newly appointed designer at Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams is working on taking the french fashion brand in a new direction. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Foday Dumbuya for Labrum London is on display. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Designs are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Ib Kamara for Off-White showcases black suits emphasizing the male and female physique. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Athleisure styles are displayed in a wide array spanning across several decades. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
A design by Louis Vuitton is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Designs by Louis Wells and worn by Prince, second from left, and Pat Campano and worn by Sylvester, second from right are featured items in the exhibit. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Designs are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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