The most anticipated night in fashion rolled onto the red carpet steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night: the 2025 Met Gala. After the past few frustrating years of Met Galas, where confusion over the theme clouded the minds of designers, guests, and viewers in their pajamas at home, the 2025 exhibition is potentially my favorite of all time. (Take that with a grain of salt, of course ー I’m at my computer judging talented designers in decade-old Adidas shorts, a tattered Polo T-shirt, and my unwashed hair in a ratty bun.) However, my love of this year’s theme does not necessarily coincide with all the designers’ interpretations. Rather, I’m interested in the historic meaning of the theme itself and, predictably, its relevance in the literary world.
This year’s event marked the opening of Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. In this landmark exhibition, the influence of sartorial dress on the formation of Black diasporic identity is explored through the historical and cultural lens of dandyism. Somewhere right now, the minds of my former Harlem Renaissance Literature professor and Decadence Literature professor are abuzz. A “dandy” is a cultural phenomenon, most prominent in the fin de siècle of the 19th century, defined as a man who dressed in lavish and indulgent clothes, who was “unduly” concerned with his fashionability ー think Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Dandyism often trickled into social commentary; dandies were typically self-made men who placed great importance on their refined lifestyle, which in turn reflected the shifting of societal norms. Money was becoming earned rather than generationally inherited.
This year’s Met Gala was inspired by author and Chair and Professor of Africana Studies at Barnard College, Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. Miller positions dandyism as both a political and aesthetic tool that was used to signal cultural differentiation, status, and style by tracing the legacy of the Black dandy from his emergence in Enlightenment England to contemporary interpretations in the cosmopolitan art worlds. The literary mind cannot help but associate this Met theme with the Harlem Renaissance: a dynamic cultural movement in 1920s Harlem where African American writers, artists, and musicians shared the vibrancy of their heritage and talents. In most pioneering Black literature, fashion is a key theme in signaling culture and freedom of expression. Let’s connect four powerful Black works with some of the most jaw-dropping looks from this year’s Met Gala.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)
Written in the ’80s but spanning the early to mid-20th century, The Color Purple is a testament to the strength, survival, and beauty of Black women. The main narrator, Celie, spends most of her life downtrodden, neglected, and abused, but fights on through the power of sisterhood. Celie finds meaning and purpose later in her life when she becomes a tailor making pants for women, adding a vibrancy to their lives with various colors and patterns. Pants have long been a symbol of freedom for women. They broke the traditional gender norms of dress and instilled a sense of independence that we see flourishing in Celie and the women she dresses in The Color Purple. Women in suits were a prominent theme on this year’s Met Gala Carpet.
The Blacker The Berry by Wallace Thurman (1929)
Thurman’s groundbreaking novel The Blacker The Berry, inspiration for Kendrick Lamar’s popular and powerful song of the same title, is a painful exploration of the inescapable prejudice plaguing American social circles. The protagonist, Emma Lou Morgan, finds fleeting moments of peace in the glitz and glamour of the cabaret nightlife. Though the lifestyle of the cabaret often serves as a world Emma steps into but never can feel fully a part of, Thurman captures the vibrancy and self-expression of this sector of New York nightlife. Sequins, feathers, bow ties, and meticulously tailored pieces: the cabaret celebrates the fun and freedom of expression in fashion. Specifically, homages to Josephine Baker, one of the most famous Jazz performers and personalities in history, were widespread this year.
Of One Blood by Pauline Hopkins (1903)
A novel uncovering the lost histories and royalties of African nations and one that underlines the biological kinship of all races, Of One Blood is an astounding exploration into the African American experience. Reule Briggs, a Black medical student disconnected from his heritage, goes on an exploration of Ethiopia, where he discovers secrets and truths about race, blood, and African histories rich with color, jewels, royalty, and more. Much like Of One Blood, the theme of this year’s Met Gala ties deeply in with the Black diasporic identity. Many looks this year held grandiosity, vibrancy, and decadence reminiscent of royalty.
Passing by Nella Larsen (1929)
One of the best novellas of all time, Passing by Nella Larsen follows two old friends who reunite in Harlem, New York. Larsen interrogates the construction and navigation of racial and social identity in Black communities. One woman, Irene Redford, is incredibly dedicated to and respected by the Black community, which is mirrored in her more refined and practical fashion choices. Meanwhile, Clare Kendry, a woman who is passing and living as a white woman, wears very cosmopolitan and stylish outfits symbolizing her greater sense of freedom in her ability for self-expression. On the red carpet, we saw many looks incorporating both sides of the coin we see in Passing: refinement and outlandishness.
Superfine: Tailoring Black Style is the second exhibition in the history of the Met Gala dedicated to men’s fashion and the first ever to place Black style as its focus. It’s a celebration of the Black experience, heritage, literature, and, of course, the power fashion holds over our cultural development. Hats off to the chairs of this year’s gala: Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and LeBron James acting as honorary chair. Above all, a thank you to the woman who may be going slightly unnoticed in all of the Met Gala hysteria: Monica L. Miller, whose book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity is the lifeblood of this historic Met Gala.
Rewind to the 2023 Met Gala with Bookstr’s literary interpretation of the best looks here.
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