MET GALA 2025 LOOKS: JENNA ORTEGA, LAURA HARRIER, A$AP ROCKY, KERRY WASHINGTON, LORDE
The first Monday of May always feels like Christmas morning to me. The biggest A-listers in the world grace the carpeted stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to unveil looks created through months of secret sketches, fittings and painstakingly planned details. Always based around the Met’s costume institute exhibit, this year’s gala theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” paid homage to Black excellence, fine tailoring and exquisite, custom made pieces. Co-hosted by Pharrell Williams, Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and of course Anna Wintour with LeBron James serving as an honorary chair, this year’s Met Gala was sure to have some A-list looks to match the line up of talent. And of course I was glued to the screen watching to see who had the best outfit ideas for the biggest night in fashion.
The Theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”
Celebrating Black style and the subversive and rebellious act of ‘dandy’ dressing (or black dandyism), designers paid tribute with impeccably tailored suits, menswear inspired touches, and deconstructed details. While the MET is always sure to provide rich fashion discourse and plentiful internet commentary, this year’s theme felt timely in both the political and fashion spheres, evoking contemplation on what the theme truly represented.
The Most Creative Looks
Host LaLa Anthony wore an archival Off-White look designed by the late Virgil Abloh, a boundary pushing Black designer who is deeply missed in the community. Colman Domingo, a co-chair of this year’s gala, wore a Valentino look sure to have made the late great Andre Leon Tally proud.
I’m partial to a good back story or a clever tribute, and this year’s MET was full of them!
Lorde looked flawless in Thom Browne. Not only did the singer wear a backless, floating bandeau top that had me questioning my double sided tape abilities, but I loved that it was a cheeky play on a cummerbund.
Diana Ross, wearing a look she designed herself, had an entrance fit for a queen with multiple handlers laying out her massive white train, embroidered with the names of her children and grandchildren on it.
A$AP Rocky, one of this year’s co-chairs and a fashion favorite, wore a look from his own creative agency AWGE. mixing black dandy homage and sportswear touches. I think it’s safe to say his girlfriend Rihanna stole the show when she pulled up in the most exquisitely tailored Marc Jacobs look, completing her dramatic and very late arrival with a baby bump.
Rosalía attended the Met Gala with Olivier Rousteing from Balmain. At first, I wasn’t blown away and wasn’t totally sure she got the dress code. The dress looked like a second skin on her which is a feat of tailoring in and of itself, but I wasn’t sold until Olivier revealed his inspiration for the dress. He wanted to capture the conception of all suiting, which starts on a mannequin and Rosaliá looked like a mannequin had come to life.
Kerry Washington looked elegant, on theme and had a little touch of drama with her oversized hat and backless detailing by designer Jonathan Simkhai. I loved the structure of the deep plunge on her suit jacket and perfect styling of gloves and necklace.
At first look, Jenna Ortega‘s Balmain dress seemed reminiscent of armor and I thought they had missed the theme entirely. But upon closer look, the dress was put together with strips of metal rulers with a “tailored for you” approach that was very much on target and totally unique.
The White Suits
And the women in white suits! Laura Harrier was a show stopper in a Gap by Zac Posen suit with wide-leg pleated pants, a waist defining jacket and sheer, oversized sleeves. Meanwhile Zendaya wore a custom Louis Vuitton white suit designed by Pharrell Williams which was tailored to perfection. Styled by Law Roach, the whole look was pulled together with a white shirt, white tie, white hat and a perfectly placed brooch at her back neck. And Jasmin Tookes looked absolutely stunning in a white peplum suit by costumer designer Ruth Carter. Her take on the theme blended Dandyism with nostalgia in a way that not a lot of women were able to do Monday night and for me, it was absolute perfection!
See more of Vetted’s favorite Met Gala looks here. And follow all of our daily musings on the Daily V/Edit!
