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It was a historic Met Gala in more ways than one. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual spring exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, marks the first time that Costume Institute has held a menswear-centric one in over 20 years; its first-ever was back in 2003: Bravehearts: Men in Skirts. More importantly, Superfine spotlights men's fashion as seen through the lens of Black men with exhibits supplemented by fashion created by Black-owned labels and designers.

Needless to say, menswear is being given its rightful place, as not only a counterpart to womenswear in fashion, but also as a larger conversation surrounding masculinity and sense of self. And that the Black men and women who have helped to shape that conversation are finally receiving their flowers in a more mainstream and elevated platform.

The dress code for Met Gala 2025 borrowed that of the exhibition, albeit in a broader sense. "Tailored for You" meant that attendees showed up in their own interpretations of tailoring—whether that be skin-skimming ensembles seen on the women from Sabrina Carpenter to LISA, or zoot suit-inspired pieces showcased by Cole Escola, Patrick Schwarzenegger and more—with the overall intent of embodying a sense of exuberance that aligns with the exhibition's subject.

Yet, this time around, far from being a display of the best that a fashion house has to offer in terms of costume, a lot of the sartorial standouts were ensembles by Black designers. Savile Row's Ozwald Boateng displayed his stunning use of colours and patterns on studied suiting worn by the likes of Henry Golding, Jaden Smith, and Ncuti Gatwa; committee member Grace Wales Bonner dressed co-chair Lewis Hamilton, Tyler Mitchell, and Omar Apollo; Bianca Saunders made several A-list men look every bit as dapper as they possibly could; and of course, co-chair Pharrell Williams' designs for Louis Vuitton too made several appearances.

It's also refreshing and highly encouraging to see a guest list that's more diverse than we've ever seen on the steps of the Met for the Met Gala. More than a mere celebration of another exhibition, Met Gala 2025 was a much needed glorification and normalisation of fashion, style and beauty outside that's not Euro-centric. Because as the attendees showed, the world is more than just one colour or one type—there's endless beauty if we're not shackled by the confines of a singular ideal.

View our picks of the best tailored looks at Met Gala 2025 in the gallery below.