FASHION
Tailored to Perfection: Unpacking ‘Superfine’ Theme for the Met’s Costume Institute Exhibition 2025
By: Alexa Fabi, Senior Writer
The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is gearing up for its newest exhibition. The theme was announced on October 9th as “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” a bold celebration of the “Black Dandy” and the first menswear focused theme in over two decades. Co-chaired by icons like ASAP Rocky, Colmon Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, and Pharrell Williams, the exhibition will mark a pivotal moment in fashion history. The exploration will put the spotlight on designers of color for the first time. It also aims to dive into the discourse around the Met Gala’s benefit committee's blindness to the subject of race, gender, class, and masculinity. It poses the question: How can we empower a generation to embrace artists who have been sidelined for so long?
For many fashion lovers, the “First Monday in May” is one of the industry’s biggest nights of the year. A-List celebrities ascend those iconic Met steps, with attendees dressed elegantly in their own creative interpretation of the year’s theme, all to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The gala famously puts on its Costume Institute’s show which focuses on a specific theme for the year. This year’s show will focus on the history of the Black Dandy and its rich and complicated legacy. In the fashion world, this night is not simply another red carpet; it represents a celebration of culture and artistry.
The exhibit is inspired by curator Monica Miller’s 2009 book, "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.” The Black Dandy will be culturally and historically examined all the way from its beginnings in the Enlightenment period in Europe in the 18th Century through its present-day representation. Miller says, “Fashion and dress have been used in a contest of power and aesthetics for Black people from the time of enslavement to today, and dandyism has often been used by individuals to manipulate the relationship between clothing, identity, and power.”
Historically, the term ‘Dandy’ has been used to describe Black men who were dressed to reflect the wealth and status of their enslavers, a form of cultural expression that married elegance with the harsh realities of oppression. “Contemporary dandies include men such as those who gathered on 125th Street in Harlem in 2020 and marched down Fifth Avenue in a show of respect for George Floyd, to underscore their own humanity and to defy stubborn narratives about the inherent thuggery of Black men,” says Robin Givhan, a journalist for the Washington Post. There is a clear element of political defiance and power that tags along with the aesthetics of dandyism. The reclamation of dandyism through fashion icons, like Prince, highlights the importance of presenting oneself in a society that often seeks to diminish the individuality of Black men.
"A Dandy" By: John McLenan (American, 1827-1865) (Artist) ca. 1859
With the focus on dandyism, the Met Gala arrives at this altering moment in fashion history. The inspiration from Miller’s book is accompanied by a resurgence of the expression of menswear in recent years. As many male fashion figureheads have begun to be more creative and explorative about their approach of self-expression, this examination of the Black Dandy will support the phenomena. Menswear has undergone a transformative upheaval where traditional ideas of gender are constantly being redefined. Luxury and wealth have been reimagined through this change, reinventing hoodies and sneakers as pieces of art.
This year, Black menswear designers will work to convey the multifaceted nature of identity and what it means for Black men. This will create an opportunity for the designers to pull from both personal and collective experiences. It will elevate the voice and artistry of black designers who have been reimagining the frontier of fashion for decades without appropriate recognition. Through the Met’s Superfine: Tailoring Black Style promises to be an exhibit that will celebrate the legacy of dandyism while challenging the Met Gala’s history of obliviousness and complacency in its affiliation with wealth disparities, racial injustice, and class inequalities.
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