Last night, the biggest names in American fashion and culture gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the opening of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” the museum’s Spring 2025 Costume Institution exhibition. Open from May 10 to October 26, the exhibit will explore the concept of Black dandyism—or the history and evolution of Black fashion and aesthetic expression as studied in the book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity by Barnard College’s Professor Monica L. Miller.
The museum set the dress code for the Met Gala,”Tailored for You,” pulling from the exhibit’s focus on suit styles. Guests chose attire celebrating the exhibit’s menswear aesthetics and the types of formal clothes and accessories that have helped Black men break glass ceilings since the 18th century.
Several celebrities with ties to DC, Maryland and Virginia stepped out onto the gala’s red carpet Monday evening. Here’s a round-up of looks from some notable DMV locals:
Noah Lyles
The Alexandria City High School graduate and Olympic gold medal sprinter showed up on the red carpet in Thom Browne. Known for wearing his pearls on the track, Lyles brought the look to the Met Gala, sporting a pearl necklace and rings by Ana Khouri.
Kamala Harris
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The former VP and presidential candidate wore an elegant black and cream Off-White gown for the gala, though she did not walk the red carpet. The silk gown featured a long black scarf. IB Kamara, the creative director for Off-White, told Vanity Fair that the look was to compliment Harris’s “strength and confidence”.
Shaboozey
The singer-songwriter and Woodbridge native walked his fist Met Gala red carpet on Monday night, wrapped in turquoise beads. He also wore a black slanted hat, cropped jacket, and flared pants.
Taraji P. Henson
The Hidden Figures actress, who was born in Southeast DC, wore a cream-colored Monse ensemble with a top hat and cane. According to People, Henson’s look was inspired by Cab Calloway, jazz artist of the Harlem Renaissance.
Pharrell Williams
The “Happy” singer from Virginia Beach was one of the five co-chairs of Monday night’s gala, along with Anna Wintour, Colman Domingo, A$AP Rocky, and Lewis Hamilton. Williams wore his own design as the new Men’s Creative Director for Louis Vuitton. He sported black trousers and a blazer made of thousands of pearls.
Kerry Washington
The George Washington University alumnus wore her hair tied back in a bubble ponytail beneath an ivory hat. Her custom Simkhai look paired her sheer skirt with a plunging neck line.
Tramell Tillman
Tillman exchanged the severed floor for the red carpet Monday evening, as the beloved “Severance” actor, who grew up in Largo, arrived at his first Met Gala. Dressed in Thom Browne, he wore a velvet tailcoat with pinstripe pants and a silk cummerbund.
Angel Reese
Reese, who grew up outside Baltimore and played basketball at the University of Maryland, stunned in a black set with white collar by Thom Browne. The Chicago Sky forward was on the host committee member and celebrated her birthday girl when the clock struck midnight.
Kwame Onwuachi
The celebrity chef and owner of Dōgon, the Afro-Carribean restaurant located in the Salamander, Washington DC, was in charge of the menu for Monday might’s gala. In between preparing dinner for the hundreds of attendees, Onwuachi also walked the red carpet in a crown and double-breasted blazer.
Ego Nwodim
The Saturday Night Live cast member from Baltimore hosted Vogue’s Met Gala livestream along with Teyana Taylor and La La Anthony. She stepped out in an all-black, ruffled look, adding cherry red pumps for a pop of color and a long diamond necklace and earrings.
Brian Tyree Henry
The “Atlanta” actor spent some of his childhood years in DC. Henry told the Hollywood Reporter that he did not use a stylist for Monday’s event and designed his look with Orange Culture himself. He wore a red patterned coat atop a red suit, with a black tie and leather gloves.
Debbie Allen
The Howard University alumnus stepped out for her Met Gala debut alongside her husband, Norm Nixon. The actress was decked out in all red, dressed head to toe in Paul Tazewell– who just won the Oscar for Best Costume Design for Wicked.
