Malique Morris, a DTC correspondent, dives into the transformative significance of the 2025 Met Gala's theme, 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.' He highlights the gala’s focus on Black fashion, creativity, and representation, showcasing bold looks and cultural impact. The discussion also touches on the importance of Black dandyism, activism linked to fashion, and the evolving role of Black designers in the industry. Morris advocates for enhanced support for diverse talent, emphasizing the need for true representation in high-fashion spaces.
The 2025 Met Gala celebrated Black style and dandyism, emphasizing the significant historical and cultural impact of Black fashion on identity.
The event showcased a growing presence of Black designers dressing A-list celebrities, highlighting ongoing discussions about representation and inclusivity in the fashion industry.
Deep dives
Skechers Acquisition Shakes the Fashion World
The $9.4 billion acquisition of Skechers by the Brazilian private equity firm 3G came as a surprise to the fashion industry, given the brand's unexpected determination to go private. The deal raised eyebrows, especially since Skechers had recently experienced growth and maintained a strong market position, defying the typical narrative of a struggling brand seeking a buyer. Skechers not only excels in providing affordable and comfortable footwear, like their popular light-up sneakers for kids, but has also expanded into new markets, signing high-profile athletes to endorse their products. This growth was crucial in justifying the hefty price tag, marking a significant shift in the fashion landscape amidst a generally stagnant year for similar acquisitions.
Met Gala Highlights Black Style and History
The Met Gala featured a groundbreaking theme centered around Black style for the first time, celebrating the cultural and historical significance of Black fashion. The chief curator cited the passing of fashion icon André Leon Talley as a catalyst for this exhibit, showcasing a longstanding yet undervalued influence of Black creatives in the industry. The exhibit, which includes 12 distinct themes around the idea of dandyism, emphasizes the intersection of Black identity and fashion, exploring the roles of figures like Frederick Douglass and their enduring impact on contemporary styling. Additionally, it challenges the historical marginalization of Black contributions while pushing for greater recognition in fashion's mainstream narrative.
Celebrating Black Dandies on the Red Carpet
The Met Gala red carpet showcased stunning interpretations of the Black dandy theme, with stars such as Tiana Taylor and Dochi exemplifying dignified expressions of style through their fashion choices. Tiana's burgundy cape suit, designed in collaboration with Ruth Carter, and Dochi’s tailored look reflected a confident embrace of Black identity and culture on one of fashion's biggest stages. The appearance of these stars with their textured hairstyles and accessories signified a powerful statement, affirming the importance of visibility and representation within high fashion. This event not only highlighted individual style but also reinforced the cultural significance of Black hair and fashion's role in identity formation.
A Shift in Fashion's Power Dynamics
The Met Gala underscored the evolving landscape of representation within the fashion industry, particularly for Black designers and their growing influence on A-list celebrities. Independent Black designers significantly dressed high-profile attendees, marking one of the largest presences for Black creatives at the event in recent history. While the presence of A-list stars reflected a broader cultural acceptance, discussions surrounding the disparity in designer representation raised questions about the industry's inclusivity and accessibility. Despite the triumphs at this year's gala, the need for sustained momentum and ongoing support for underrepresented designers remains critical in shaping the future of fashion.
The Costume Institute's 2025 exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," celebrated its opening at the annual Met Gala, marking the first menswear-focused exhibit in two decades and the first ever centred exclusively on Black fashion. Inspired by Monica L. Miller's seminal work on Black dandyism, the exhibition took a scholarly approach to exploring the historical and cultural significance of Black tailoring. The gala’s official dress code, "Tailored for You," provided a broader and more personal prompt, encouraging guests to interpret tailoring through their own unique perspectives.
DTC correspondent Malique Morris and joins senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and executive editor Brian Baskin to reflect on the night’s boldest looks, the broader discussion on representation and inclusion at the event, and how the prestigious gala could evolve to better support diverse talent.
Key Insights:
The Costume Institute's 2025 exhibition emphasised fashion as a powerful tool used by Black communities to assert dignity and counteract societal prejudice. Organised into 12 sections, each exploring a different aspect of Black dandyism, it thoughtfully included historically significant garments, like abolitionist Frederick Douglass's tailcoat, underscoring the profound role that meticulously tailored attire has played in activism and representation. "It showed how our activism, while not reduced to an aesthetic, is indeed linked to how we wear beautifully cut clothing,” explains Morris.
Natural hair was heavily featured in this year’s gala looks. "Black people's natural hair has always been up for debate, especially when it's of tightly coiled texture. Doechii said so much by wearing that beautiful crown on fashion's biggest night,” says Morris. “Redefining, but also defining what is so natural to us is absolutely stunning and worthy of praise at the utmost event like the Met Gala.”
The presence of influencers at culturally prestigious events like the Met Gala remains contentious. Morris questioned the necessity of influencer inclusion, advocating instead for prominence to be given to figures whose cultural impact is undeniable and long-lasting. "The people who were actually shifting culture in a really meaningful way, who have stood the test of time and are icons, it makes a lot of sense for them to take up so much oxygen,” he says. “With this Met specifically, when we're talking about the designers and them having more of a buy-in and them having more of a presence, we're moving in the right direction.”
Meaningful progression for the Met Gala, and similar institutions, involves sustained and systemic representation rather than temporary or symbolic inclusion. Morris advocates for lasting change, suggesting a shift towards consistent visibility for independent designers from diverse backgrounds. "I want indie brands having an outsized presence at the Met Gala to be endemic," says Morris. “I think that will be the progress.”
