Despite the New York rain, the Met Gala 2025 unfolded in suitably spectacular style, proving once again that nothing – not even the weather – can dampen fashion’s biggest night. This year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” paid homage to the radical elegance of Black dandyism, drawing directly from Monica L. Miller’s seminal text Slaves to Fashion. With a dress code dubbed “Tailored for You,” guests were invited to serve bespoke realness, remixing the codes of high-style menswear through deeply personal, wildly expressive lenses. Co-chaired by a powerhouse lineup – Pharrell, A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton and Colman Domingo – the night was as culturally rich as it was visually opulent. Kicking off with a rousing rendition of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by a Black choir and unfolding atop a daffodil-flecked blue carpet designed by artist Cy Gavin, the evening set the tone for a new chapter in fashion history. All this, while raising a record-breaking $31 million for the Met’s Costume Institute. And so, to the Upper East Side we go – here’s who understood the assignment and rewrote the syllabus.

While the men may have turned out en masse in show-stopping tailoring, the women brought the drama, the divine and the decadent – reminding us all why the Met Gala is still the ultimate arena for fashion’s highest form of fantasy. This year’s crop of women took “Tailored for You” and reworked it into silhouettes that swerved from razor-sharp suiting to feathered opulence and sculptural grandeur. Think glamour reloaded – with a side of rebellion.

Queen of the castle and mother of the Met, Anna Wintour, kept things serene in baby blue Louis Vuitton satin and embroidery. Meanwhile, a constellation of stars leaned into old-school elegance: Sydney Sweeney and Gigi Hadid both shimmered in Miu Miu, channelling Kim Novak and Josephine Baker respectively, while Zendaya swanned in a pared-back white satin Louis Vuitton suit with a dramatic sun hat – a far cry from the costume-core looks we’ve come to expect. And then there was Diana Ross – yes, after 22 years, the icon returned, cloaked in silver sequins, a cloud-like feathered train and the kind of diva aura that had six men carrying her 18-foot cape. A moment.

Menswear codes continued to be deliciously subverted: Jennie in off-shoulder Chanel and pearls; Sabrina Carpenter in a cinched Louis Vuitton blazer-bodysuit; and Charli xcx in feather-trimmed Ann Demeulemeester chaos chic. Hunter Schafer brought monochrome majesty in Prada and Aimee Lou Wood wore a striking black-and-white ensemble by Ahluwalia, featuring a cropped blazer and hot pants, paired with a skinny tie and a dramatic swathe of black satin fabric artfully draped and tied around her body.

Marc Jacobs had a major night. Teyana Taylor was a Harlem rose in blood red, Doja Cat glittered in pinstripes and a leopard cone bra and Rihanna – pregnant reveal and all – served Sunday service suiting with a corseted twist and wide-brimmed hat, baby bump beaming beneath pinstripes. Later FKA Twigs practically dissolved into a sheer silver whisper of a slip dress lined with dramatic fur by Wales Bonner, while Janelle Monáe went full fashion cyborg in a Thom Browne optical illusion complete with bowler and mech-chic eye gear. Brown also dressed Nicki Minaj in a mega-shouldered skirt suit, Demi Moore in a gown that was the tie (1.4 million beads, 7600 hours of handiwork, BTW) and Lorde in grey tailoring ghostwear. Later, model of the Year 2024, Alex Consani, turned heads in a slinky butter-yellow suit-inspired dress by Swarovski, complete with playful waist cutouts that added just the right touch of drama. Tessa Thompson brought the drama in an hourglass-structured suit dress by Prabal Gurung, striking a fierce pose with an André Leon Talley fan in hand – serving power, poise and a wink to fashion royalty.

Elsewhere, Jenna Ortega gave us DIY dominatrix in Balmain, wearing a silver dress literally made of silver rulers – part school supplies, part couture armour and all smirking genius. Tracee Ellis Ross took tailoring to colourblocking extremes in a cartoon-bright Marc Jacobs suit that looked plucked straight from a Pop Art comic strip. Tyla, never one to do subtle, served corporate sensuality in a pinstriped Jacquemus dress, white and grey and razor-sharp in all the right places. Zoë Saldaña emerged in a masterclass of contrasts: sleek white sleeves and skirt, a black corseted bodice and a giant white bow draped over an open back. Kendall Jenner came suited up in a grey twinset with assertive shoulders by Torisheju, giving “office siren” a whole new boardroom brief. Miley Cyrus did not come to play, stomping in a two-piece Azzedine Alaïa number – croc-embossed leather jacket up top, spiky black skirt below and all the rock ‘n’ roll attitude you’d expect. Simone Biles stunned in sapphire, wearing a puffball mini with a trailing train and collared, embellished bodice by LA darling Charles Harbison. Jennie channelled Monte Carlo magnificence in off-the-shoulder Chanel, complete with granny pearls and a boater hat – a dapper daydream on the steps. And Emma Chamberlain showed out in Courrèges, an asymmetric, barely-there-back halter dress with a blazer-like bodice and geometric train.

Pamela Anderson was wrapped in silver Tory Burch like chainmail bombshell Barbie, while Lana Del Rey’s black velvet Valentino came with gothic shoulder feathers and a mournful train. Cynthia Erivo wore an exquisite haute couture beaded sculptural bodice and skirt from Givenchy by Sarah Burton. Kylie Jenner kept it cool and architectural in Ferragamo by Maximilian Davis, while Rosalia wore Balmain, Kim Kardashian wore custom Chrome Hearts and Nicole Kidman in Balenciaga Couture all delivered in varying shades of slink and severity. Cardi B wore a green crushed velvet suit by Burberry, styled with teased hair that evoked a fusion of 1980s disco glamour and Edwardian flair. Issa Rae wore a simple yet textural black three piece suit designed by Ozwald Boateng. Star of the moment Doechii lit up the carpet in chequered Bermuda shorts and a white Louis Vuitton monogram blazer with subtle grey detailing, topped off with a maroon neckerchief, a bold afro and a cigar in hand – smoking-hot in every sense. Even Madonna got the suited (and smoking) memo – Haider Ackermann ivory satin, cigar in mouth, unbothered.

From Lauryn Hill’s sunshine-suited cape and umbrella combo, to Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club patchwork and glitter ringmaster fantasy, the women of the 2025 Met didn’t just dress – they embodied. Whether paying homage, disrupting tropes, or inventing whole new archetypes, they proved that tailoring isn’t just for the boys. This year, the girls tailored it for.