Trending Tuesday Feature: Black Dandyism Reigns at the 2025 Met Gala
3 min read
Photo Credit Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
The 2025 Met Gala wasn’t just a fashion event—it was a declaration. Under the theme “The Garden of Time,” Black creatives seized the moment and reminded the world that fashion is not only art, but resistance, history, and power sewn into every stitch.
This year’s red carpet didn’t just glimmer with high-end glamor; it bloomed with symbolism, bold choices, and unapologetic Black dandyism. With co-chairs like Colman Domingo, A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, and Pharrell Williams leading the charge, the night blossomed into a visual essay on what it means to show up, show out, and shift culture.
The Roots of Black Dandyism
To understand the night’s impact, we have to look back. Black dandyism has always been more than flair. It’s rebellion. Originating in the 18th and 19th centuries when enslaved and colonized people used Western dress codes to subvert oppression and assert dignity, it evolved into a celebration of individuality, beauty, and defiance. In Harlem, Congo, South London—Black folks used tailoring to tell their own stories, often loud, layered, and full of grace.
Last night at the Met, those stories walked tall.
The Showstoppers
🎯 Janelle Monáe
Never one to shrink from a statement, Monáe arrived sculpted into a visual riddle. In a custom Thom Browne ensemble that fused pinstripes with surrealist structure, she gave us Afro-futurist vaudeville. The exaggerated shoulders, asymmetric lapels, and monocle told the story: “You tried to box me in, now I’m rewriting the geometry.”
👑 Teyana Taylor
Draped in oxblood red, Taylor channeled the ghosts of Harlem Renaissance royalty. Her look screamed dominion—a feathered hat, pleated cape, leather gloves, and a silver cane that could double as a scepter. Taylor’s appearance wasn’t a costume, it was canon: a living embodiment of legacy and control.
✨ Alton Mason
Serving chest and sparkle with equal finesse, Mason arrived in a shimmering two-piece that defied traditional menswear expectations. His outfit whispered disco and hollered fashion revolution. The eye patch and bow tie brought dandy drama, while his posture dared anyone to blink.
💅 Colman Domingo
In a majestic cobalt cape lined with silver embroidery, Domingo didn’t walk—he glided. His look evoked royal courts, gospel choirs, and ballroom pageants all at once. Co-chairing the gala wasn’t just a formality; it was a crowning.
Beyond Fabric: What It All Meant
This wasn’t about dressing up. It was about showing out—on behalf of those who never got to, of those who were erased from couture history books, and of those still fighting to be seen as whole. Black dandyism reclaims the narrative that elegance is Eurocentric. It says: We’ve always been the moment.
It tells young creatives: You don’t have to shrink to succeed. You can dazzle and disrupt.
It tells the industry: Our stories can be sewn in silk, laced in defiance, and dipped in legacy.
And most of all, it tells the world: Black style is not a trend. It’s truth.
Quote of the Day
“When we own our stories, we reclaim our power. When we share them, we build community.”
— Intellectual Ink Manifesto
Read. Reflect. Share.
This #TrendingTuesday, we celebrate the truth sewn into these threads. At Intellectual Ink, we stand in awe of those who turn red carpets into runways of revolution.
Want more features like this? Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on IG for exclusive behind-the-scenes, interviews, and issue drops.
#BlackDandyism #MetGala2025 #TrendingTuesday #BlackFashionHistory #IntellectualInk #CulturalElegance #TailoredTruths
