Trends that stood out from the crowd at the Met Gala 2025

Met Gala has always stood as a night of fashion, yet this year, the red carpet went beyond to evolve into a sartorial symposium. Channelling the spirit of the Black Dandy, the evening unfurled eclectic trends across the spectrum of fashion and boutique to embody the theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” From power shoulders to monochrome suits, this year was indeed, "Tailored for you," and we have laid out our favourites from the lot.  

Exaggerated Shoulders

Exaggerated shoulders are not only an appendage of the Dandy but also the magnum opus of power dressing. The bold and architectural silhouette is worn to command attention by broadening the frame and asserting strength even more. That is exactly what Teyana Taylor’s Met Gala suit did. The three-piece suit designed by Ruth E. Carter was an epitome of symbolism—both of her performances as well as the Dandy. Legacy couturier Manish Malhotra made his debut at the event in an avant-garde embellished cape that boasted the extravagance of Indian craftsmanship. 

Monochrome Suits 

Monochrome attires, particularly suits, stand as a pronouncement of authority and power, embodying a minimal, sophisticated aesthetic. In the design vocabulary of Dandyism, the single hue is synonymous with the Harlem Renaissance, which transformed simplicity into symbolism. At the Met carpet, a list of celebrities presented their iterations of the same. While Zendaya debuted the Met Gala in an all white custom Louis Vuitton suit designed by Pharrell Williams and styled by Law Roach, the bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan also debuted in an all black ensemble featuring a floor length coat, crepe de chine silk shirt and tailored superfine wool trousers, with Sabyasachi’s maximal jewellery taking center stage. Adding to the spectrum of colours, Grammy winner Cardi B opted for a velvet, forest green suit from Burberry. 

Croc Print 

Known for striking a balance between vintage glamour and contemporary polish, croc print is a nod to resilience. Ahead of her album drop, Miley Cyrus went to the carpet in an Alaïa leather top, black skirt, and Cartier jewellery. Accompanying the trend was Kim Kardashian, the SKIMS founder and reality star wore a custom black two-piece leather outfit from Chrome Hearts, a look that was accentuated with diamonds and pearls.

Indian Heritage

While the Black Dandy honours its ancestry of defiance, the Indians walking the Met carpet took it upon themselves to exude their lineage. Presenting a culmination of dandyism and Indian heritage, the fashion icon Natasha Poonawalla honoured her Parsi ancestry through a Manish Malhotra ensemble, which was reengineered from two vintage Gara saris along with a tailored black Gara jacket in imperial purple. Embodying the flamboyance of the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, the global singer-songwriter Diljit Dosanjh wore a custom Prabhal Gurung ivory sherwani with a cape, punctuated with antique gold zardosi and lace work, which also highlighted the outline of the state of Punjab and the Gurumukhi script in alphabetical order. 

Capes and trails 
A quintessential statement for drama and whimsy, the extravagance of capes and trails can never be undermined. Every year, celebs own the Met stage to present yet another sartorial statement. This year, Diana Ross took the spotlight with her 18-foot-long train embodying her entire family tree, along with a white sequined gown and a feathered hat. Among India’s top leading entrepreneurs, Isha Ambani wore custom couture by Anamika Khanna that took 20,000 hours to embroider, was accentuated with semi-precious stones and intricate traditional pearls. Among this year’s debutants, Lauryn Hill strutted in a butter yellow suit with an eccentric cape that exuded a larger-than-life elegance. 

Pinstripes 
Dandyism’s expression lies in bold patterns and this year at the Met, pinstripes emerged as the breakthrough trend. While the Fenty founder, Rihanna, announced her pregnancy in a Marc Jacobs ensemble featuring a black cropped woollen jacket, a wool bustier bodysuit, and a black pinstripe wool tailored skirt with a bustle, the influencer Emma Chamberlain wore custom backless Courrèges by Nicolas Di Felice. Attesting to the significance of the style, Nicki Minaj hopped on the wagon with a pinstripe suit dress by Thom Browne.

Statement accessories
Accessories have long held the baton of sartorial expression in understated, yet authoritative ways, and the attendees for this year know this well. The Indian tech entrepreneur never fails to deliver with outlandishness. This year, she adopted a fully robotic dog, developed at MIT, as her chosen extraordinary act of red carpet display. André Lauren Benjamin was seen carrying music, quite literally, with a giant piano—Pink Sparrow’s Steinway Model—as an expression of his process that helps him develop his music: in this particular case, his new EP 7 Piano Sketches. However, Janelle Monae’s monocle has our favourite reserve with its idiosyncratic, yet literal embodiment of the theme. 

Brooches
Men have resorted to accessories in the last year, as a catalyst for elevating their looks with luxurious elements. Particularly among them, brooches have stood out, as attested by the parade at the Met as well.  Chance the Rapper donned three brooches made of platinum and gold on his lapel as well as a Tiffany & Co. brooch on his cap. The mother of Vogue, Dame Anna Wintour, wore an antique aquamarine brooch, cut in the shape of a heart. While Sarah Snook adorned a stack of brooches, the co-chair Lewis Hamilton carried an exquisite 1980s piece crafted in white, yellow, and pink diamonds.

Scarves as Ties
The Met celebrates the spirit of dressing up, and while we may be gawking over the meticulously curated details, quirk holds a ubiquitous special corner. Innovating another rendition of the Black Dandy essential—ties—one of the co-chairs of this year’s Met, Colman Domingo, led the costume exhibition with a black and white scarf tied around his neck. Caleb McLaughlin and Joey King presented their own iterations with the latter wearing a ruffled tie that juxtaposed with her attire. 
 

Statement Nails
While the Met is revered for its avant garde fashion statements, it doesn’t hold back on serving boutique details either. While Ego Nwodim presented an eclectic, colourful display of buttoned nails, the Wicked star Cynthia Erivo took her manicure game up several notches with the menswear-inspired acrylic nails that featured pocket squares as an ode to “Superfine Tailoring,” which took two days to be completed.