The Met Gala, which takes place each year on the first Monday of May, has long been a glittering highlight of the fashion calendar (so much so, it is often called ‘The Oscars of Fashion’). The gala, officially called the Costume Institute Benefit, is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. But it’s also one of the most anticipated red carpets around, with attendees dressing to a theme and turning out looks that routinely turn into viral sensations.
With just a few days to go, Wallpaper* has compiled all of the details surrounding the event – consider this your Met Gala cheat sheet. Read on for everything we know bout this year’s gala, from the theme and dress code to the co-chairs and where you can watch the spectacle unfold.
The date: Monday 5 May 2025
Tradition dictates that the Met Gala takes place on the first Monday of May, which this year falls on 5 May. The event is held at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The concurrent Costume Institute exhibition, ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’, which dictates the theme of the event (more on this later), will be open to the public from 6 May – 26 October 2025.
The theme: ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’
The theme of the Met Gala reflects the year’s Costume Institute exhibition, which the gala also inaugurates. This year’s is called ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’, and is based on the 18th-century looks explored in Monica Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. In it, Miller considers how Black people have used fashion to ‘imagine new ways of embodying political and social responsibilities’.
The theme, therefore, focuses on the role of sartorial style in the forming of Black identities, with a focus on the ‘Black dandy’, defined as a Black man who ‘paid distinct and sometimes excessive attention to dress’. ‘Superfine’ will redefine the notion of a dandy while celebrating Black fashion through the ages.
Composed of clothing, photographs, art, texts and artefacts, this will be the first Costume Institute exhibition to focus exclusively on menswear for more than 20 years (since 2003’s 'Men in Skirts' theme). The exhibition will be arranged by 12 characteristics of Black dandyism, informed by a 1934 essay by writer Zora Neale Hurston. Additionally, Torkwase Dyson will be curating the scenography for ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’; look out for Wallpaper's exclusive interview with the artist.
The dress code: ‘Tailored for You’
While the theme of the Met Gala is ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’, the dress code presents attendees with a looser assignment – the gala says that its dress code is ‘purposefully designed to provide guidance and invite creative interpretation’. This year’s is ‘Tailored for You’, which, we can safely assume, will invite attendees to focus on suiting more generally.
Expect diverse renditions of classic tailoring, inspired takes on tuxedos and lapels, and a smattering of hats, ties, canes, brooches and pocket squares. Designers like Willy Chavarria, Thom Browne and Grace Wales Bonner will likely relish the assignment – each is known for their distinct riffs on sartorial classics.
While the dress code is ripe for inspiration, some Met Gala fans have voiced concern that it might serve as a licence for men to turn up in a ‘boring’ suit – a phenomenon frowned upon in previous years. Here’s hoping that such concerns prove empty.
Recently, Burberry announced that it would be working with image architect Law Roach as a partner and consultant on the creative expression of the Met Gala theme, as well as for the curation of the Burberry Met Gala table.
The co-chairs: Pharrell Williams, Colman Domingo, A$AP Rocky and Lewis Hamilton
The Met Gala appoints co-chairs for each event. Although their role is ambassadorial, it’s rumoured that the panel also takes an active role planning the Met’s dress code, dinner and performances.
2025’s honourary chair will be sporting legend LeBron James. Co-chairs will be Pharrell Williams, Colman Domingo, A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has been the driving force behind the Met Gala since 1995.
The Costume Institute has also announced that it will be reviving the tradition of having a ‘host committee’. This features a slew of Black luminaries including André 3000, Grace Wales Bonner, Simone Biles, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Usher, Janelle Monáe, Spike Lee, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Edward Enninful, Olivier Rousteing, Dapper Dan, Regina King, Sha’Carri Richardson and Tyla.
Attendees might look to the co-chairs, many of whom have a track record of bringing top-tier menswear to the red carpet, for inspiration: Domingo made headlines when he appeared in mustard yellow haute couture at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards. Hamilton is the king of F1 paddock fashion, showing up to his final race with Mercedes in a red Rick Owens look. A$AP Rocky, meanwhile, is a menswear stalwart, boasting standout Met looks ranging from a custom Gucci outfit in 2023 to the vintage quilt he donned in 2021.
A look from Wales Bonner’s A/W 2024 runway show. The British designer is part of the Met Gala 2025’s ‘host committee’
Where can I watch?
Vogue, which organises the event, will be live-streaming the red carpet on all of its digital platforms, including YouTube, with singer and actor Teyana Taylor; actor and producer La La Anthony; and actor and comedian Ego Nwodim hosting.
What happens inside the gala, however, is kept strictly under wraps, with guests required to abide by a no phone or social media policy.
-
David Kohn’s first book, ‘Stages’, is unpredictable, experimental and informativeThe first book on David Kohn Architects focuses on the work of the award-winning London-based practice; ‘Stages’ is an innovative monograph in 12 parts
-
Jaguar spotlights five emerging artists in its inaugural Arts AwardsThe new Jaguar Arts Awards in partnership with London’s Royal College of Art embody a shared drive to nurture new talent; meet the 2025 winners
-
‘Locally anchored and globally conversant’: Salone del Mobile debuts in Saudi ArabiaSalone del Mobile lands in Riyadh (26-28 November 2025), bringing its creative and manufacturing know-how to one of the world’s fastest-growing markets and setting the stage for Italo-Saudi design relations
-
Extreme Cashmere’s New York store is a haven for knitwear and furniture lovers alikeDesigned to evoke a ‘luxurious home’, the Amsterdam-based knitwear label’s sophomore store on New York’s Mercer Street features an enviable interior curation – from poppy-print Milo Baughman chairs to a hot-pink Sabine Marcelis ‘donut’
-
The story behind rebellious New York fashion label-cum-art collective, Women’s History MuseumMattie Barringer and Amanda McGowan’s multidisciplinary label has been challenging fashion’s status quo for the past decade. As they open a new exhibition at Amant, Brooklyn, the pair sit down with Wallpaper* to discuss their provocative approach
-
Ulla Johnson’s new Upper East Side boutique feels like a ‘glowing jewel box of treasures’Design studio Valle de Valle took cues from the neighbourhood's historic buildings, from the Frick to the Carlyle, in designing this dreamy boutique
-
The key takeaways from the S/S 2026 shows: freedom, colour and romance define fashion’s new chapterWe unpack the trends and takeaways from the S/S 2026 season, which saw fashion embrace a fresh start with free-spirited collections and a bold exploration of colour and form
-
From wearable skincare to scented runways, unpacking the unconventional beauty moments of fashion month S/S 2026The S/S 2026 season featured everything from probiotic-lined athleisure to fragranced runways – and those Maison Margiela mouthguards
-
Hard Sun is the NYC brand revolutionising sunscreenThis high-protection mineral formulation comes with sleek packaging and skincare benefits
-
Griffin Frazen on conceiving the cinematic runway sets for New York label Khaite: ‘If people feel moved we’ve succeeded’The architectural designer – who helped conceive the sets for ‘The Brutalist’ – collaborates with his wife Catherine Holstein on the scenography for her Khaite runway shows, the latest of which took place in NYFW this past weekend
-
‘I want to feel optimism’: Tory Burch hopes her latest collection sparks joyPresented in Brooklyn as part of New York Fashion Week, Tory Burch’s latest outing continued her newfound eye for experimentation and play – a balm, she says, for ‘the dark times we are in’
