Superfine: Tailoring Black Style — Reflections
The 2025 Met Gala unfolded as a powerful tribute to heritage, craftsmanship, and the art of self-presentation. This year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”, centered on the historical and cultural significance of Black fashion — with particular reverence to dandyism, bespoke tailoring, and radical elegance.
As a designer who champions storytelling through cut, fabric, and identity, this year’s Met Gala felt not only timely but deeply resonant.
Tailoring as Identity. Tailoring as Resistance
The accompanying Costume Institute exhibition, co-curated by Andrew Bolton and Dr. Monica L. Miller (author of Slaves to Fashion), explores over 300 years of sartorial ingenuity within the Black diaspora. It reframes tailoring as more than aesthetic — it becomes a language of self-worth, resistance, and cultural sophistication.
From the extravagant precision of 19th-century Black dandies to the cool restraint of contemporary icons, the exhibition proves what many of us in the craft already know: tailoring is a political act — when done with intention, it tells stories words never could.
OUR PICKS!
The red carpet this year was less about spectacle and more about statement. These are the moments that stayed with me:
Diljit Dosanjh – Draped in regal ivory with an embroidered cape, turban, and heritage jewels.
Janelle Monáe – Avant-garde pinstripe surrealism in a 2D trompe-l’œil suit. Playful, radical, and rooted in art.
Damson Idris – A double-breasted red suit paired with a racing helmet for modern masculine power.
Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle Union – Power couple perfection. He in an ivory tailcoat and jewelled waistcoat; she in elegant black satin with a sculptural train.
Mindy Kaling – Military meets couture. Cinched waist, velvet red sash, and tailoring drama with a feminine edge.
Shah Rukh Khan – Long black overcoat, layered jewellery, and that “K” pendant.
Whoopi Goldberg – A textured black-and-white tailored coat dress with Victorian lines and a signature top hat.
Pusha T – Garnet-toned double-breasted suit with subtle sparkle. Minimal but memorable, street meets Savile Row.
Trevor Jackson – Cropped tuxedo jacket over wide grey trousers. Youthful tailoring that balances dandy energy with vintage nods.
Law Roach – Baroque velvet suit, oversized cuffs, and white patent heels. A stylist’s lesson in theatrical tailoring.
Images Courtesy: Getty Images
As a Designer: What This Means to Me
It took me on a journey back to my roots.
My debut collection in 2016 was a love letter to dandyism, superfine tailoring, and the unapologetic elegance of menswear.
The recent “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibit at The Met stirred deep nostalgia. My creative awakening was shaped profoundly by music, art, and style from the Black diaspora. That influence lived at the heart of this lookbook
Tailoring the Future
Whether you’re crafting a suit for a South Asian groom in London or creating ceremonial wear for a global stage, the role of the tailor is evolving. We are not just making clothes, we are archiving emotion, pride, and culture.
Let the legacy of Superfine be a reminder: tailoring is not quiet. It is eloquent. And it is essential.