Obsessed with this year’s MET Gala
Black Dandyism brings extravagant realness
I’ve been working really hard to go to sleep earlier. I can easily accidentally stay up until after 2am. And then the other night, for a concatenation of reasons, I was up until 4. Just WTF was I thinking?
I’d gotten it down to 1am the night before. If I could keep going to sleep an hour earlier each night, well, then I’d be getting up before I went to sleep, but the idea was for me to actually have an eight-hour block in which to sleep before life woke me up.
Last night was supposed to be the night I went to sleep around midnight.
But the MET Gala!
The pictures! The clothes! The attitude! The pants!
Ms. Diana Ross bringing full-on Mahogany. That TRAIN! It took 8 men to get her up the stairs! Do you know where you’re going to? Because The Boss certainly does!
The theme of this year was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” and the inspirations ran deep.
So many people aced this assignment. The few who didn’t get it, seemed like they belonged to another era altogether. Like they had so missed the moment they shouldn’t be allowed up those treacherous bloody stairs. We won’t say who they were, but well, they know.
(In all my wildest imaginings of going to the MET Gala, I am standing at the bottom of those stairs just wondering HTF I am going to get up them in that outfit and those shoes without at least 16 men keeping me steady.)
I want to post every single image here… but copyrights. So I’ll link to some of my absolute favorite looks and articles that contain them.
My favorites keep going back and forth between:
Janelle Monae and that OpArt piece that got to wear her to the event!
Zendaya with the Smooth Criminal vibes! And that serpent brooch and that flash engagement ring!
Zoe Saldana bringing her signature elegance!
Keke Palmer giving pants a new attitude!
Kerry Washington in a concoction that looked like the froth on a cappucino in the best possible way!
Colman Domingo bringing it as only he can and then some!
Lorde!! (It’s Lorde summer this year and it looks like Lorde’s going to have some things to say to us soon!)
Jon Batiste! Doechii! Rihanna!!!!!!
Jennie Kim making you love Blackpink even more!
Pam Anderson with the new haircut giving us adorbs Swedish vibes but sexy.
Ooh this is already too many… right? I posted a gang of photos to my IG stories last night and then realized how many I’d missed—especially the men. I’m not sure I can ever stop posting!
I’m not the biggest Anne Hathaway fan (soznotsoz) but the effortless elegance of her fit was giving Kate Hepburn and Grace Kelly all at once. Rest in power André Leon Talley.
And GAP Couture by Zac Posen showing up and showing out on Laura Harrier! Tell me you don’t want to wear this! Tell me you thought GAP was so over and now you want everything GAP Couture. I do!
Yes, fashion is messy and celebrity culture messier. The MET Gala elevates these conversations with stunning craftspersonship and time-based, in-person art that builds and reimagines traditions. Celebrating Black Dandyism feels like the most elegant of subversions. It embodies that same joy we all need to hold onto rn to reenergize us in our struggles.
It’s been super fun writing this and adding links and reliving the images. Let’s keep the conversation going—put your faves in the comments! (I’m sure I missed so many great ones!)
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