Did “The Blackest Met Gala Yet” Give Dandyism Its Due?

Of course, the Blackest Met Gala yet would happen at a time like this.

The navy carpet leading up the stairs to The Metropolitan Museum of Art served as a glorious buffet for our eyes to feast on. Capes, canes, fascinators and expertly tailored suits and gowns dominated all in the name of Black dandyism. For the first time ever, the Costume Institute dedicated its theme to Black fashion. Black dandyism is about revolution, resistance, agency, and pride —and it isn’t a coincidence this was the theme during a time when so many are calling for just that.

There weren’t a slew of pins or accessories with protest messages adorning Black stars on Met Monday. The message was their presence — carried with the weight of those who came before them and those who will come after.

Co-chair Colman Domingo delivered two looks in one, arriving in a stunning blue cape with an embellished collar that gave both choir leader and king—a nod to the late André Leon Talley’s legendary fondness for capes. Underneath, the actor sported a Valentino suit. Diana Ross shut down the carpet with an 18-foot cape embroidered with the names of her children and grandchildren. Ayo Adebiri wore a Ferragamo dress inspired by her dad and traditional Edo fashion. Jodie Turner-Smith paid homage to Black Horsewoman Selina Lazevski in custom Burberry. And Rihanna, in true form, revealed her pregnancy with baby No. 3. while still serving as the stunning punctuation at the end of the night, per usual.

Other standouts from the evening included co-chair A$AP Rocky’s braider who had to be a geometrist the way they laid his perfectly plaited cornrows while André 3000 reminded us why dandyism has no bounds—carrying a piano on his back. Doechii’s Louis Vuitton suit showed us that a dark-skinned girl from the swamp who prioritized her freedom over conformity can rise as fashion’s new darling. And Janelle Monáe, a walking optical illusion stunned in her two-in-one Thom Browne suit featuring an exaggerated structuring, a style creative and imaginative, just like her.

It was equally as enjoyable watching Teyana Taylor (styled by Ruth E. Carter and giving peak Player’s Ball) and Ego Nwodim (in a three-piece black Christopher John Rogers suit) interview other celebrities throughout the night for Vogue. Their energy and chemistry just felt right and matched the moment as they cracked jokes, cut up and gave compliments the way only Black women can do. 

It’s appropriate that the night kicked off with a choir of tuxedo-wearing Black men performing Ashford & Simpson's Ain't No Mountain High Enough. It’s not only a joyful tune, but it's a declaration of devotion to overcome in love and life. 

In a video from Vogue’s pre-Met Gala party, designer Law Roach said, “They done f***ed up and made the Met Ball Black.” And did.

Monday night felt like a momentary reprieve from the relentless wave of recent legislation and corporate backtracking with company policies deeming diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as unnecessary and quite frankly, disposable. Even on a larger scale, fashion as an industry hasn’t always valued Black people (including Leon Talley, the night’s most missed presence), disregarding, appropriating and stereotyping us. And as momentous as this celebration of Black dandyism is, it’s also a reminder: there’s still a long way fashion institutions have to go.

Co-curator Monica L. Miller, whose book Slave to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, inspired this year’s theme, told Refinery29’s Unbothered that she sees her work with The Met as a “vessel” for possibilities.

“I think it’s really exciting so I’m sort of like passing the torch to other folks to sort of get out there and use some of these tools, use some of these strategies, use the history, support the designers, support the artistry, support the craft,” she said. “I’m really hoping that if there’s a lesson that people learn from that is that there’s tons of Black creativity out there, an incredible amount of craftsmanship and care and that we can all support and extend that.”

The exhibition, which opens to the public May 10, was just as breathtaking. Coupled with the “Tailored for You” dress code, there’s a deep appreciation and understanding that comes from witnessing this collection. The exhibition explores the evolution of Black dandyism in a masterful way. With walls flush in Black, it’s hard to clearly see anything but the work in the room. That’s intentional. It commands your attention for the enslaved Black people who transformed their attire from “luxury slaves” into symbols of resistance and pathways to freedom. Paintings, furniture, accessories, books and more make up the collection. But the most stunning detail, however, might be that patrons must look up to see most of the garments as the black mannequins donning them are on literal pedestals.

You must look up because the people who wore these clothes were larger than life. They were and are giants and the clothing they chose to wear confirmed that. No matter how much society may have tried to defeat, belittle, oppress and erase them, they saw their fashion as a tool they could use as they pleased.

“What this means for me is a kind of display. Hopefully a beautiful and informative and provocative display of the sort of creativity and imagination of Black people across a number of centuries. I’m very, very excited about that,” Miller said.

Though dandyism may be a new word for some, its concept is all too familiar. It’s in our DNA. It’s the epigenetic gene that makes us resilient, community-minded, creative, innovative and free. It’s what we’ve witnessed our foremothers and forefathers practice in order to make a dollar out of 15 cents. It’s the ingredient that birthed zoot suits, Sunday’s best, ghetto fabulousness, and so much more. Call it what you want — dressed to the nines, casket clean, sharp, put together, dripped out, putting that sh*t on — it’s what’s in us that makes what’s on us look so damn good.