Superfine: Tailoring Black Style | MET GALA 2025
On Monday May 5th, the fashion cognoscenti will once again grace the steps of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art for one of the most anticipated soirées on the global style calendar — the Met Gala. This year, the evening’s theme invites a profound exploration into the intersections of Black style, identity, and power.
The Gala, an illustrious fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute, heralds the opening of its annual fashion exhibition. This year’s theme: Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, delves into 300 years of sartorial expression, anchored in the elegant, subversive tradition of Black dandyism within the Atlantic diaspora. Drawing inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s seminal 2009 work, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, the exhibition unveils fashion as both an aesthetic language and a strategic mode of self-assertion.
Spanning centuries and continents, with a particular focus on Europe and the United States, the exhibition brings together a rarefied collection of garments, accessories, fine art, and photography — each piece a testament to the enduring role of style in shaping Black identity. Divided into twelve thematically rich sections — such as Champion, Respectability, Heritage, Beauty, and Cosmopolitanism — the curation highlights how fashion transcends adornment to become an instrument of cultural dialogue and political expression.
This year’s Gala will be presided over by an exceptional cohort of co-chairs: King of the red carpet - Colman Domingo, Formula 1 icon Lewis Hamilton, cultural visionaries A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams, and, of course, the ever-formidable Anna Wintour. Anticipation is also mounting for the much-rumoured collaboration between cinematic titan Shah Rukh Khan and master couturier Sabyasachi — a union destined to leave an indelible mark.
Tracey Neuls is attuned to the power of sartorial individuality. Our philosophy celebrates the art of dressing with intention — championing silhouettes that empower, and craftsmanship that speaks to refined taste. For an invitation as extraordinary as this, we would consider the most unique styles from our collection:
Cuddy Dot Spectator - these slip-on mules come as a pair, as pictured, the perfect dandyish statement inviting you to embrace life’s differences with sophistication and good humour.
For more height and power, and to make a très chic entry - choose Jake Black
Hannah Spectator are the boots du jour. Crafted from butter soft Italian leather, this ankle boot features decorative bold crosshatched brushstrokes on the heel, with a slim, flattering silhouette that is incredibly comfortable. Sophistication doesn’t need to sacrifice ease. Also available as Hannah Flax, and Hannah Custard, pictured below.
We can't talk of dandies without mentioning Pablo Carnival - these unisex derbies will put you centre stage. This woven multi-coloured leather has the optical fizz of an abstract masterpiece, beautifully counterpointed with rich, textured black leather. We see many a dandy strutting their stuff in these...
