At the recent press preview for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s Spring ’25 exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” members of the press, editors, and special guests were dressed in their best. For the press conference, actor and Met Gala co-chair Coleman Domingo donned an impeccably tailored purple suit with a hat to match. “My style was influenced by three men in my family,” he said during his remarks, where he paid special tribute to the fashion contributions of the late, great André Leon Tally.
“Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” an exploration of Black men’s style and the importance of that style to the formation of Black identities, will be on display from May 10–October 26, 2025.
“Every year, the Met Gala brings together distinguished cultural figures and style icons from across a wide array of fields to celebrate and support art and fashion,” said Max Hollein, the Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO. “This spring‘s event will mark the opening of the exhibition ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,’ a profoundly scholarly showcase.”
“This exhibit offers 12 sections,” said Monica L. Miller, the curator and organizer of the “Superfine” exhibit. What made it all possible was translating Miller’s book, “Slaves to Fashion,” into an exhibition with the Met’s collection of high-style menswear, which served as a foundation for imagining and realizing this important sartorial history. The show’s conceptual framework is inspired by Zora Neale Hurston’s 1934 essay “Characteristics of Negro Expression.”
Renee Minus White/A Time To Style photo
Fashions are displayed on mannequins and platforms, high and low. The exhibit includes entertaining videos and photos hanging on walls, including images of W.E.B. Du Bois; a suit owned by Talley; an ensemble from the 2022 Polo Ralph Lauren line; and the white, crisply ruffled shirt worn by Prince for one of his performances, singing “Purple Rain.”
One section, “Beauty,” inspired by a 1969 poem by Nikki Giovanni, highlights the beauty, confidence, and sheer fabulousness of style and attitudes that began to emerge among Black males in the1970s and ’80s. After the social justice movement of the1960s, men’s fashion changed from strong and hard to featuring softer looks in leather, drapery, lace, and ruffles.
It was wonderful to reconnect with designer Jeffrey Banks in front of the plaid coat and suit ensembles he designed. Banks, who emerged in the ’80s as a prominent menswear designer, knew just how to design for Black men, and he was always an advocate for luxury menswear.
“I’m beyond excited to stand with my fellow host committee members in supporting rhe Met and celebrating the undeniable impact of Black creativity on fashion and culture for centuries,” said Sha’Carri Richardson. “Our style isn’t just what we wear; it’s how we move, how we own our space, how we tell our story without saying a word. Fashion sets us apart, but it also brings us together, whether you’re shining on the track, commanding the stage, or just making the streets of New York your runway.”
Usher said, “I’m honored to be part of such a long-standing tradition with the Met’s Costume Institute. The theme this year is not only timely, but also speaks to our rich culture that should always be widely celebrated.”
This year’s Gala raised $31 million to benefit the Costume Institute.
Co-chairs in attendance included Lewis Hamilton, A$APRocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour. LeBron James was among the honorary chairs.
Accompanying the exhibit is a catalogue featuring images by artist Tyler Mitchell and a story of Black men’s styles across generations. Sponsored by Louis Vuitton and others, the exhibition is in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, Gallery 999, Floor 2. For more information, visit metmuseum.org.