The 2025 Met Gala was a masterful blend of historical homage and contemporary innovation, with attendees and designers using fashion as a medium to celebrate Black dandyism, cultural pride, and identity fluidity.
This year's theme at the Met was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” with the accompanying dress code titled “Tailored for You”. This theme honoured and explored the cultural, historical, and sartorial significance of Black dandyism - a style and identity rooted in Black menswear and the art of tailoring over the past three centuries. The theme is also a way of paying homage to the late fashion visionary, journalist and Anna Wintour's friend, André Leon Talley.
India was front and centre on the Met carpet this year with the biggest Indian name - Shah Rukh Khan - stealing a lot of the spotlight. A Bengal Tiger Cane added magic to the Met.
Shah Rukh Khan on the blue carpet. Photo Credit: AFP
There was Diljit Dosanjh in white, a step further towards realising his motto of global domination.
Then there was Kiara Advani, who showed up in a breathtaking Gaurav Gupta ensemble, with her baby bump out there and how!
Diljit Dosanjh at Met Gala 2025. Photo Credit: AFP
Natasha Poonawalla, a regular at the Met, got fashion designer Manish Malhotra to craft an outfit for her from vintage Parsi sarees. Manish himself made his Met debut this year, looking sharp in a black structured sherwani.
Now, while India sparkled, shone and took the whole damn spotlight, the Met had more. All the looks from the Met focused on the theme (of course) and on storytelling through embroidery, sculptural hair, and symbolic accessories. But what trends did we spot on the blue carpet?
Here's a lowdown.
Bold Tailoring With A Twist
At a glance, the Met's many attendees embraced impeccably tailored suits and dresses with unexpected elements - oversized shoulders, asymmetrical cuts, and vivid colours - reinventing classic menswear and womenswear with modern flair.
Colman Domingo wore a grey pinstripe Valentino suit with a huge rose brooch but here's the twist – it had a dramatic blue cape with extravagant embroidery.
Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan also wore a black suit (but shirtless) and a waistcoat, all designed by ace designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. He accessorised it with a statement and customised neckpiece.
Damson Idris also made a dramatic entry on the daffodil-decked blue carpet, wearing an embroidered helmet and a car racing suit. But when attendants pulled his suit apart, it revealed another, tailored crimson red suit underneath.
Accessories That Tell A Story
Oversized hats, walking sticks, leather gloves, and chunky jewellery elevated many looks. But some pieces left us awestruck because of their story.
When Diljit Dosanjh made his debut at the Gala, we all knew it would be a look to remember. The singer turned into a Maharaja (quite literally) in Prabal Gurung. However, he added layers of emerald and pearl jewellery, ornate rings, and brooches as a tribute to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, who was known for his grandeur.
Soon-to-be mum Kiara Advani also wore an accessory designed by Gaurav Gupta that paid homage to motherhood in minute detailing. She donned a golden breastplate, with a golden thread attached to a smaller plate - the thread representing the umbilical cord. The outfit was titled "Braveheart" - with a Mother Heart and a Baby Heart joined by a gold umbilical cord.
No Pants? Don't Care
The art of wearing a bodysuit as an ensemble is all around in 2025. The trend began somewhere around Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Sabrina Carpenter's musical tour. This trend was at the Gala as well. Several stars including Sabrina herself, Doja Cat, and Lisa were seen wearing structured bodysuits as ensembles.
🚨| Sabrina Carpenter stuns at the 2025 #MetGala! pic.twitter.com/VSOYPKakYo
— Short n' Sweet Tour (@ShortnSweetTour) May 5, 2025
Solid Colours For The Win
The Met carpet this year saw many attendees rocking (and not quite rocking) solid colours, with all-white outfits spotted the most. This includes Zendaya's all-white look, the legendary Diana Ross's all-white gown with a long trail, and not to forget Lewis Hamilton in all white. This year's colour, baby blue, was also spotted on the carpet with Anna Wintour wearing a baby blue gown.
Capes On The Carpet
Since this year's theme took inspiration from André Leon Talley, who was known for his capes more than anything else, this year's outfits saw capes flying around everywhere on the carpet.
This includes singer Teyana Taylor's iconic ruby red, larger-than-life zoot suit-inspired cape that is going viral on Instagram. Diljit Dosanjh's cape featured inscription from the Gurmukhi script and a map of Punjab in gold, channelling his Punjabi heritage and quite a stunner on the blue carpet.
Girls (And Boys) Like To Swoop
As usual, beauty trends stole some of the spotlight—and this time, it was all about swoops. While there's always a standout look each year—be it bold lashes or dramatic veils—this time, it was all about the swoop.
THE FRONT THE BACK pic.twitter.com/Qulf0D38av
— Dua Lipa Brasil (@dualipabrasil) May 5, 2025
Inspired by the night's theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which celebrated sharp tailoring and nods to classic masculinity, hairstylists took a stylish detour to the early 1900s, bringing back the drama of finger waves and polished swoops.
Celebs across the board—men and women alike—turned up with artfully placed strands swept across their foreheads, crafted with precision and plenty of styling gel. Whether it was a single swirl or a series of face-framing lines, the swoop was the standout. Stars like Bad Bunny, Coco Jones, Dua Lipa and Simone Biles embraced the look confidently.
Gender Fluidity In Tailoring And Silhouettes
Like every year, cross-dressing and breaking the norms of dressing were evident on the Met carpet this year too. However, this year's theme “Tailored For You” further encouraged breaking down gender norms. Many female attendees were seen wearing structured coats and vice versa.
Let's take the White Lotus stars for instance. For his Met debut, Walton Goggins wore a flowing black inside-out skirt designed by Thom Browne, along with a white shirt and black tie (glad it was not a Hawaiian shirt). Meanwhile, Aimee Lou Wood showed up on the carpet looking incredible in a deconstructed suit. Talk about cross-dressing at its best!
Walton Goggins at Met Gala. Photo Credit: AFP
All in all, trends might come and go, but we have to remember Met Gala 2025 as it was - a masterful blend of historical homage and contemporary innovation. And King Khan, of course.
Meet you at the next Met!
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