Met Gala 2025: The exact photo reference stars used for their final looks

Let's break down some of the best looks and the legends they honored

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When the Met Gala sends out a dress code like "Tailored for You" and builds a theme around "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," you know it's not just fashion. This year, celebrities didn't just dress to impress; they dressed to educate, pay homage, and redefine the red carpet playbook, one custom stitch at a time.

The brains behind this deeply stylish operation are Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge at The Costume Institute, alongside guest curator and cultural scholar Monica L. Miller, whose 2009 book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity" inspired the theme. According to the Met's official Instagram, the exhibit explores "the Black dandy as both a concept and an identity signifier," and the blue carpet was where that concept came to life.

Monica Miller, Andrew Bolton, Colman Domingo and Max Hollein attend the press conference for the 2025 Met Gala celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

The exhibition itself is a visual feast, spanning centuries of Black style, from 18th-century regality to contemporary runway rebellion. Through paintings, archival photography, and museum-quality garments, it offers a timeline of how Black fashion has long been a tool of self-expression, resistance, and reinvention.

And the celebs did their homework.

The Homework Was Tailored

Fashion heavy-hitters were among the stylists and designers who took this year's challenge seriously. Think of them as cultural historians with shears and sewing machines. The results had Met Gala looks that were not just "on theme," but brilliantly referential, each telling a story stitched with reverence and swagger.

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Let's break down some of the best looks and the legends they honored:

Colman Domingo as Andre Leon Talley

Colman Domingo walked in wearing Andre Leon Talley's legacy, which was like a crown and a cape.

With sweeping silhouettes, ecclesiastical drama, and unmistakable gravitas, Domingo didn't just channel the late fashion icon; he resurrected his unapologetic opulence. 

Zendaya Inspired by Bianca Jagger

Zendaya never misses, and this year she time-traveled to Studio 54.  

Her look nodded to Bianca Jagger, equal parts disco queen and political powerhouse. Draped in fluid tailoring with an edge of Latin flair, Zendaya reminded us that suiting up can still mean showing out.

Kerry Washington as Diana Ross

Kerry Washington is no stranger to elegance, but she brought Diana Ross to the carpet this time.

Her look screamed "iconic" without ever feeling costume-y because, like Ross, Kerry knows glamour is about attitude, not just sparkle.

Megan Thee Stallion Inspired by Josephine Baker

Megan came to slay. Channeling Josephine Baker's iconic glamour, she wore a look that whispered Parisian cabaret with a megaphone.

Feathered, bejeweled, and irresistibly magnetic, this was a high-voltage homage with a Hot Girl twist.

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Gigi also pulled from Josephine Baker's wardrobe but with a lighter, more ethereal touch.

Where Megan went cabaret bombshell, Gigi went ballet flapper. It was a duet across decades, and the harmony was flawless.

Jodie Turner-Smith Inspired by Selika Lazevski

Who is Selika Lazevski, you ask? A 19th-century Black equestrienne immortalized in a French photograph is now given new life by Jodie Turner-Smith.

Jodie Turner-Smith Inspired by Selika Lazevski

Jodie's look was a masterclass in historical interpretation, with regal tailoring, riding boots, and poise that screamed power.  

Sydney Sweeney Channels Kim Novak

A bit of a curveball, Sydney Sweeney's look reached outside the Black dandy narrative but still fit the theme of tailored femininity.

Dressed as Kim Novak, she played up Old Hollywood drama with a cinched waist and icy blonde bombshell vibes.

Jon Batiste Inspired by Miles Davis

If you looked up "cool" in the fashion dictionary this week, you'd see Jon Batiste in his Miles Davis-inspired ensemble.

Jazz, swagger, and sharp tailoring, Batiste wore his trumpetless tribute with the kind of laid-back charisma that made Davis a style legend.

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