The countdown is on for fashion’s biggest night — complete with a custom menu, a star-powered committee, and a dress code that invites personal interpretation.
The 2025 Met Gala and The Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, will take place at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The exhibition will open to the public from May 10 through October 26, 2025, and will be held in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, Gallery 999, Floor 2, at The Met Fifth Avenue. Museum members can preview the exhibition on May 6, 8, and 9.
The event and exhibition are made possible through the sponsorship of Louis Vuitton, with major funding from Instagram, the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation, Africa Fashion International — founded by Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe — and The Perry Foundation. Additional support is provided by Condé Nast.
This year’s Met Gala co-chairs include Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour. LeBron James has been named the honorary chair.
In a return to tradition, The Met will also include a Host Committee to support the evening’s festivities. The committee is made up of actors, artists, athletes, designers, filmmakers, musicians, and writers.
Members include André 3000, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, Grace Wales Bonner, Jordan Casteel, Dapper Dan, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Edward Enninful, Jeremy O. Harris, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Rashid Johnson, Regina King, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, Audra McDonald, Janelle Monáe, Jeremy Pope, Angel Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson, Olivier Rousteing, Tyla, Usher, and Kara Walker.
This year’s dress code is “Tailored for You.” It reflects the exhibition’s emphasis on suits and menswear, including specific silhouettes, fabrics, and accessories. The theme is designed to guide attendees and allow room for personal interpretation.
Each year, the dress code connects directly to the ideas explored in the Costume Institute’s exhibition. The Costume Institute Benefit, commonly known as The Met Gala, occurs on the first Monday in May and is the institute’s main annual funding source. This support covers exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, operations, and capital improvements.
Viewers can follow the 2025 Met Gala livestream, hosted exclusively by Vogue, across the brand’s digital platforms and YouTube channel. The red carpet broadcast begins on Monday, May 5, at 6:00 p.m. ET.
For additional behind-the-scenes coverage, Live From E! Stream: Met Gala will also provide a live stream beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT on the same day.
Chef Kwame Onwuachi will create the 2025 Met Gala menu. Cy Gavin will lead the creative direction for the red carpet design. Additional décor concepts for the night will be developed by Derek McLane and Raúl Àvila.
Max Hollein, Director and CEO of The Met, emphasized that the Gala serves as a gathering of cultural and fashion icons to support the arts. He described the upcoming exhibition as “a profoundly scholarly show centering an important legacy of Black-led sartorial innovation and creative expression.”
Sha’Carri Richardson highlighted the cultural influence of Black fashion and expressed pride in supporting the exhibition. She said, “Our style isn’t just what we wear—it’s how we move, how we own our space, how we tell our story without saying a word.”
“Fashion sets us apart, but it also brings us together—whether you’re shining on the track, commanding the stage, or just making the streets of New York your runway. On May 5, our light will continue shining on the power of style, and trust me, you don’t wanna miss it,” she concluded.
Usher shared, “I’m honored to be part of such a long-standing tradition with The Met. The theme this year is not only timely but also speaks to our rich culture that should always be widely celebrated.”
Reflecting on his personal connection to the event, Kwame Onwuachi described participating in the Gala as “like a professional dream come true.”
As a Bronx native and lover of high fashion, he said that collaborating on Superfine: Tailoring Black Style has been especially meaningful, adding that it “brings a whole new level of inspiration” to his team’s culinary vision.
Tickets to attend the Met Gala are estimated to cost around $75,000 per person, according to a YouTube video shared by Complex on its official channel.
However, most guests do not pay for their own attendance. Fashion houses typically purchase tables of ten, starting at $350,000, and invite celebrities to sit with them. In return, those guests often wear designs from the brand that invited them. Attendance is selective and based on financial, cultural, and industry standing.
As excitement builds for this year’s event, fashion watchers continue to reflect on standout red carpet moments from the 2024 Met Gala, which delivered memorable looks that honored the theme and exhibition Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. A few celebrity appearances in particular made headlines for their creativity, elegance, and historical nods.
Pamela Anderson attended the Met Gala for the very first time, bringing her signature effortless glamour to the event. The actress and activist wore a custom Oscar de la Renta gown featuring a gathered bodice, flowing skirt, and a dramatic train.
She completed her look with a Noel Stewart faux leather headpiece and Pandora lab-grown diamonds, totaling nearly 200 carats, including a striking double-chain necklace that draped down her back.
The look marked Pandora’s pink diamond debut. Anderson’s glowing makeup was done by Pat McGrath, while Orlando Pita styled her ’90s-inspired updo with feathered detailing.
Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman captivated fashion enthusiasts by embracing archival elegance with a recreation of a 1951 Cristobal Balenciaga couture gown.
Inspired by a historic Richard Avedon photograph for Harper’s Bazaar, Kidman’s look paid homage to the past while aligning with the Gala’s sensory and time-traveling theme.
“The Met Gala’s ‘The Garden of Time’ theme is so beautiful, I think I just fell in love with the idea of kissing a Balenciaga couture gown awake,” she told Vogue.
On the other hand, Demi Moore stood out with a highly coordinated ensemble blending luxury fashion and fine jewelry. Wearing a custom creation by Harris Reed, Moore debuted Cartier’s Nature Sauvage high jewelry collection, becoming the first to wear the brand’s Chloris necklace and earrings.
The jewels featured platinum spirals, diamonds, and emerald centers. Reed designed Moore’s velvet dress to complement the necklace exactly — constructing a life-size paper replica to ensure a precise match.
The dress featured hand-painted silk organza flowers, designed to appear as if wilting down the silhouette, and took thousands of hours of hand embroidery to complete.
These standout appearances from 2024 serve as a reminder of the Met Gala’s ability to merge fashion history, craftsmanship, and personal storytelling on one of the most-watched red carpets in the world.
With its tribute to Black style, high-profile co-chairs, and a theme rooted in tailored expression, the 2025 Met Gala promises to celebrate cultural legacy and showcase fashion innovation.
As anticipation builds for this year’s red carpet, all eyes will be on how guests interpret the “Tailored for You” dress code — and what unforgettable moments unfold on fashion’s biggest night.
