As April approaches each year, fashion fans unite to both critique and celebrate Hollywood royalty as they show out for the annual Met Gala Ceremony. The event, hosted by Vogue’s editor-in-chief, and recognized fashion icon, Anna Wintour, took place on May 5th, with the corresponding red carpet livestream kicking off promptly at 4:30 pm EST.
The explicit dress code for this year’s Met Gala was “Tailored for you”, aligning with the theme of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring costume exhibit, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”. The exhibit celebrates black-excellence and embraces the aesthetic of Black dandyism. Overseen by Anna Wintour, this year’s gala features a meticulously selected group of celebrity co-chairs: Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, and A$AP Rocky. This group became the first co-chairs to host a Met Gala focused exclusively on Black designers—and the first in over twenty years to highlight a menswear centered theme.
Among the star-studded lineup of celebrities in attendance was A$AP Rocky himself, serving double duty as both guest and co-chair. Rocky wore an original AWGE design featuring a slick double-breasted wool jacket reminiscent of outdoorsy Marmot coats popular in Harlem during his youth. During his final fitting, Rocky told Vogue, “Marmots are a Harlem tradition… That was our teenage jacket.” His long time partner Rihanna was equally show-stopping, arriving in a custom, well-tailored Marc Jacobs skirt-suit and cropped tuxedo jacket. Rihanna used the red carpet to debut her third pregnancy, flaunting her baby bump in a gray bustier.
Another major debut that captured headlines was the first-ever red carpet appearance of lovebirds Callum Turner and Dua Lipa, who reportedly got engaged late last year. While their romance hasn’t been entirely secret, the couple has previously kept things low-key in public. But with matching black Chanel ensembles and Dua’s flashy engagement ring on full display, any rumors of romantic tension were promptly laid to rest.
In contrast, a recently broken up couple made their solo debuts on the red carpet: Please Please Please singer Sabrina Carpenter and her ex-beau/actor Barry Keoghan. Carpenter, styled by co-chair and prominent producer, Pharrell Williams, wore a custom Louis Vuitton burgundy pantless suit paired with a cropped blazer. Carpenter’s petite stature was apparently a key consideration—as Carpenter claims Pharrell told her during fittings, “You’re quite short, so no pants for you.” This evaluation received no complaints from Barry Keoghan, who didn’t have to sweat about competing with Carpenter’s platform heels this year. His subdued custom Valentino look failed to massively impress audiences, further solidifying his inability to outdo and not embarrass his ex, Sabrina.
The honoring and celebration of late Vogue editor, André Leon Talley was one of the unifying themes that was emphasized throughout the evening. Several A-Listers joined forces to pay tribute to Talley’s legacy, including co-chair Colman Domingo, Anne Hathaway, and Doechii—all of whom successfully embodied the very same tailoring expertise that Talley championed. Hathaway, clad in a referential Carolina Herrera ensemble specifically recognized Talley’s influence in a Vogue livestream interview: “We wanted André Leon Talley to look down from heaven and scream ‘GLAMOUR’.” Domingo, dressed in Valentino, and Doechii, styled in Louis Vuitton exemplified the widespread impact Talley had across the fashion world.
Unfortunately for Doechii, most headlines involving her weren’t about the tribute. Instead, a now-viral video captured her pre-debut outburst toward her team at the Mark Hotel. The clip shows her stepping out from an elevator and into a box-like contraption, intended to shield her outfit from abrasive paparazzi. In said video, Doechii can be heard demanding her team to source more umbrellas for coverage: “Give me another umbrella, now! And another one. I need more f***ing umbrellas!” The internet clutched its collective pearls, criticizing her tone and apparent mistreatment of her staff. Doechii responded to the backlash on the following Wednesday with a TikTok playfully titled, “God forbid a girl needs more umbrellas”. In the caption, she took a more serious approach when actually addressing the controversy: “This was such an overstimulating night but I wouldn’t trade it for the world! This was the night we all dreamed of and my team killed it (umbrellas aside)”. Regardless of the noise online, her custom Louis Vuitton look was undeniably intricate and compelling.
In more lighthearted Met-Gala mishap news, actresses Zendaya and Anna Sawai had an accidental twinning moment when both arrived in similarly tailored all-white suits and hats. Zendaya’s longtime stylist, Law Roach, appeared surprised (and a bit bashful) when he noticed Sawai in a look remarkably close to Zendaya’s. While Law Roach’s reaction caused minor internet buzz, there were no hard feelings between the stars. In fact, Zendaya sent Sawai flowers after the event to diffuse any tension surrounding the mishap. The moment reminded many online users of the infamous Wilde–Zhang incident at the 2023 Gala when Olivia Wilde and Margaret Zhang wore yin-yang versions of the same Chloé dress, designed in homage to that year’s theme, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”
What’s worth celebrating though, is that for every mini-scandal that sparked from the event, there were at least ten stars on their best behavior. Surprisingly enough, known industry diva (and icon) Chappell Roan, made her Met Gala debut and managed to exit the gala unscathed from controversy. The only buzz surrounding her was about her disco-inspired hot pink suit designed by Oscar-winning costume designer, Paul Tazewell—best known for his work on Wicked. Perhaps the ever-intrusive paparazzi have learned their lesson not to test Chappell, who has never hesitated to clap back when crossed.
As always, the mystery of what transpires inside the Gala captivated audiences almost as much as the red carpet itself—and Anna Wintour’s famously strict no-phones policy has only added to the intrigue. This year, that curiosity reached new altitudes when rapper Megan Thee Stallion stirred rumors of being banned from future events after she posted a video inside the gala. The clip showed Megan, Doechii, and basketball star Angel Reese taste-testing the Met’s dinner offerings. Megan cheekily referenced the rule-breaking, saying “We’re not supposed to have our phones, but we’re doing it [anyway] … I snuck my phone in.” As speculation spread about a supposed ban, Megan addressed the rumors via People, saying, “No. We’re gonna dead these rumors right now, okay? People are like, ‘Oh my God, Megan, you got banned from the Met Gala.’ No, I didn’t babe. Like, that’s not true”.
With every Met Gala comes a new roster of select icons—whose looks were just too exceptional to overlook. Among the most talked about was actress and singer Teyana Taylor, who also co-hosted Vogue’s red-carpet livestream. Taylor arrived arm in arm with costume designer Ruth E. Carter, wearing a custom Marc Jacobs zoot-suit-inspired ensemble. Her burgundy cape featured an embroidered text, reading “Harlem Rose,” a nod to her 2018 track, A Rose in Harlem. Matching Taylor in style was Janelle Monáe, whose black, white, and red two-piece ensemble featuring a duchess silk overcoat, a trompe l’oeil patterned tie, a Magritte-style bowler hat, and a hybrid monocle-timepiece accessory. Her 1930s-inspired look mastered the essence of Black dandyism through layers of optical illusion and impeccable tailoring.
Also paying homage to cultural roots was Puerto Rican rapper, Bad Bunny. Fresh off announcing his massive Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, Bad Bunny continued to spotlight his heritage through fashion. He wore a chocolate brown Prada suit and a matching pava hat, a traditional symbol of the Puerto Rican jíbaro (or countryside dweller). While his look was a more contemporary and chic version of the traditional pava, his ongoing commitment to honoring his Puerto Rican identity through fashion was both endearing and personal.
With the closing of yet another gilded Met Gala curtain, this season’s spectacle will be remembered not only for its exquisite tailoring and powerful declaration of Black excellence—but also for the scandals that unfolded beyond the velvet ropes. Until next year, the Met Gala remains the biggest catwalk where controversy greets art—and style always speaks in a language much more universal than words.
Sources:
https://www.vogue.com/tag/event/met-gala
https://apnews.com/live/met-gala-2025-fashion-updates
https://www.carolinaherrera.com/us/en/editorial/fashion-met-gala-anne-hathaway-2025
https://people.com/style/olivia-wilde-margaret-zhang-respond-wearing-same-dress-met-gala-2023/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20xvd10xv5o
https://www.thecut.com/article/doechii-responds-to-met-gala-umbrella-controversy.html
Photo Credits:
Rihanna & A$AP Rocky Photo: Kevin Mazur/MG25/Getty Images
Sabrina Carpenter Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Zendaya Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Anna Sawai Photo: Courtesy of Dior
Chappell Roan Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris//Getty Images
Teyana Taylor Photo: Photo: Getty Images
Janelle Monae Photo: Dia Dipasupil / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Bad Bunny Photo: Michael Loccisano/GA//Getty Images
Doechii Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris//Getty Images
Dua Lipa & Callum Turner Photo: Kevin Mazur/MG25//Getty Images
