LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – Next year’s 2025 Met Gala exhibit theme has been announced as “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” In addition to Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor-in-chief and recurring host, this year’s Met Gala will be co-chaired by American actor Colman Domingo, British race car driver Lewis Hamilton, American Rapper A$AP Rocky and American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams. American basketball player Lebron James will act as an honorary chair. The entirety of the guest co-chairs are Black males, which ties into the exhibit theme.

Vogue announced that the theme will draw inspiration from Monica L Miller’s book, “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.” Miller is also a guest curator for this event. In short, the theme follows concepts of fashion in the lives of Black men from the 18th century to the present day, making this the second Met Gala exhibit dedicated to men’s wear. The theme is often referred to on social media as an “expression of Black Dandyism.” But what is the purpose of this theme? 

 “It’s deviating from what the Met Gala is socially thought to be to expand their purpose,” said Los Alamitos High School sophomore Tina Ov, an enjoyer of the Met. 

This theme was chosen with the hope of showcasing the importance of fashion to Black identities throughout time. This allows Black stylists to explore the manner in which the “Black Dandy” is. 

“It will illustrate how Black people transformed from being enslaved and stylized as luxury items acquired like any other signifier of wealth and status, to autonomous self-fashioning individuals who are global trendsetters,” said Miller in an interview with Vogue. “But it’s also about transcendence. It’s about ambition. It’s about the future.”

The theme itself provides opportunities for stylists to explore Black style and history and allows Black stylists to be involved with a major fashion event. If done correctly, and if the theme remains for the Gala, the celebrities that dress to the theme in May of next year will bring positive exposure to Black fashion.

“I think that a lot of designers today are exploring the different modalities that the Black Dandy represents – things like freedom, dissonance, theatricality,” said Andrew Bolton, a British museum curator. 

So, with such a thought-out and well-intentioned theme, why has their been an outpouring of negative feedback on social media? 

Typically, the Met Gala starts with an exhibit and is followed by the actual gala that celebrities dress up for and attend. The dress theme is often similar to that of the exhibit. For example, last year’s exhibit theme was “Reawakening Fashion,” and the Gala theme was “The Garden in Time,” which ties into the exhibit theme. Fans are left wondering now, what will next year’s Gala theme be? Will it be similar to the theme of this year’s exhibit, or will it take a different twist entirely? There are present opinions about both scenarios.

Many believe that the theme will remain for the Gala because of the intention behind the exhibit theme, to appreciate Black culture. However, if this is the case, many fans have fears regarding celebrity attire appropriating the Black culture instead of showcasing diversity. 

“This has such potential to be really cool, but I could see people just fumbling so hard. This could go either way,” said @robbieturnerclassic, a TikTok user who believes the theme will remain for the Gala.

“When I saw it, I got scared. I know [it’s] gonna be a problem,” @brittyjoy0 replied in a comment section on TikTok discussing the risks.

Meanwhile, Met fans on platforms like TikTok or Instagram are excited and hope that this remains the theme for the Gala. They believe it could bring positive reactions from the media and are eager to see how some of their favorite celebrities might dress for this theme. 

“I think the theme will stay for the gala and that it will be good because it will provide celebrities and their stylists to explore cultural fashion,” Ov said.

As fans and enthusiasts eagerly await the Met Gala and exhibit, this year’s theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Fashion” will continue to have social media swirling with opinions, rumors and speculations. The theme serves as an opening for deeper interpretations, increasing the anticipation as fans around the world eagerly await the Gala.