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The Met Gala 2025 has officially made history, raising a staggering USD 31 million for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute—the highest amount the annual fundraiser has ever collected. This year marks the first time the gala crossed the USD 30 million threshold, significantly surpassing the previous year’s total of USD 26 million. It’s a record-breaking achievement that highlights both the star power of the attendees and the cultural significance of this year’s theme.
The gala coincided with the launch of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. Inspired by Monica L. Miller’s influential book Slaves to Fashion, the exhibition dives into over 300 years of Black fashion, dandyism, and cultural identity. From 19th-century livery coats to groundbreaking modern looks, the exhibit paints a powerful picture of how Black menswear has long been used as a tool for expression, resistance, and elegance.
This year’s gala was co-chaired by a bold, dynamic lineup: Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and of course, long-time Met Gala monarch Anna Wintour. LeBron James also stepped in as an honorary chair. The dress code, Tailored for You, encouraged guests to show off personal interpretations of suiting, menswear, and structure—resulting in some of the night’s most innovative, gender-fluid, and meaningful fashion moments.
Among the evening’s standout attendees was Gigi Hadid, who turned heads in a vintage-inspired gold Miu Miu gown reminiscent of 1940s glamour. Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky made headlines of his own—not just for his fashion—but by announcing Rihanna’s third pregnancy live on the carpet, sending social media into a frenzy.
The USD 31 million raised will go directly toward supporting the Costume Institute’s core mission—funding future exhibitions, scholarly publications, vital acquisitions, and structural improvements to the museum’s fashion archives. In doing so, it ensures that fashion’s past, present, and future continue to be preserved and celebrated at The Met.
Opening to the public on May 10, 2025, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style will run until October 26, 2025, at The Met Fifth Avenue. According to Vogue, the exhibition includes contributions from contemporary designers such as Grace Wales Bonner and Virgil Abloh, and pays homage to legendary style figures like André Leon Talley. It’s organized into 12 thematic sections—like Ownership, Respectability, and Cool—with curatorial inspiration drawn from Zora Neale Hurston’s 1934 essay, The Characteristics of Negro Expression.
Altogether, this year’s Met Gala wasn’t just about breaking fundraising records—it was about honoring the legacy, resilience, and creativity of Black style, and recognizing the ways in which fashion can be both a weapon and a celebration of identity.