Dear A-list celebs, this is your cordial plea to avoid all Karlie Kloss-adjacent ‘Looking Dandyism in the eye’ memes this year, sincerely, the Wonderland team.
Since the 1700s, dandyism has been an instrumental tool within Black fashion: born out of the Atlantic diaspora, enslaved Black individuals were decorated in opulent garments by Western aristocrats, as if they were equal to inanimate, luxury commodities. After slavery was abolished, clothing was utilised to embody social and political power, through dandyism – referring to a man who values his external aesthetic, which consequently becomes a vital part of his lifestyle. Dressing for the Black dandy, became a way to manipulate their identity, as self-fashioning individuals operating in society.
Black dandyism has cast a rich tapestry of cultural heritage upon the fashion industry, leading to what Monica L. Miller dubs as ‘modern incarnations’, that is, the contemporary trailblazers who are elevating the Black dandy as a muse to their design practice (think: Wales Bonner, Tolu Coker, Bianca Saunders). Tracing this history is what Monica L Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, explores, and is the central stimulus for this year’s Met Gala exhibition. As the first Black curator of a Costume Institution exhibition, Miller joins Andrew Bolton to honour this legacy, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, an exhibition which will accompany the infamous Met Gala.
More affectionately known as ‘fashion’s biggest night out’, the Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, led by chairperson Anna Wintour, held on the first Monday of May. Whilst the main focus is technically the fundraising and exhibition, us fashion-heads all come together every year to gawp at the drool-worthy ball gowns that churn onto the paparazzi-laden red carpet. By no means is it an easy ordeal in bagging an invite either, not just any Tom Dick or Harry could waltz on in, the Met Gala is Hollywood’s most elite night out, and only opens its doors to the cream of pop culture’s crop.
Given that this year’s exhibition surrounds the Black dandy, the dress code for invitees has been announced as Tailoring for You, so we can expect to see a lot of suits, precise craftsmanship, and cultural references. Falling onto the night of May 5, the Met Gala is just days away, and, being the impatient fashionistas that we are, we couldn’t help ourselves but summon a small list of our top predictions (sorry not sorry). From Met Gala veterans, to new girls on the block, these are the designers who would cause us to pass away, if we saw them dress these celebs. Scroll down for our top picks:
Lewis Hamilton in Martine Rose
Whilst he’s most commonly found under the roof of his Ferrari F1 car, Lewis Hamilton knows how to dress. The Formula 1 driver has navigated his way around previous Met Gala’s, and other reputable fashion do’s, with poise and sophistication, never missing a fashionable beat when it comes to his fits. This year, the Hertfordshire-born racer will be co-chairing the Met Gala, so we’re hoping he’ll show out in his finest garb. He’s worn cult-favourite Brit designer Martine Rose before, and her affinity for London’s subcultures, alongside her Jamaican heritage, makes for an incredibly intimate homage to the diverse communities that live within London’s multicultural boroughs. Not to mention, Rose frequently riffs on bourgeois silhouettes, tailoring, and constructional details, conjugating suits and corsets with not-so luxurious looking garms, like hivis jackets or sweatpants, making her an ideal contender for Hamilton. We think this would be a match made in heaven, and we know Lewis likes to win, so could he win this match over?
Pharrell in Louis Vuitton
We’ve seen the Met Gala settle on themes that honour certain designers before, but never before has a theme fitted an invited guest quite so well. Fellow co-chair Pharrell Williams is practically being served a multitude of outfit options on a silver spoon – if this isn’t his year, then we’re at a loss. The singer-turned-fashion-boy will presumably be sporting a custom Louis Vuitton outfit, and considering Vuitton has a rich archive of travel-themed references, Williams’ outfit can really go in any direction depending on what sort of dandy he’d like to reference. We’re picturing a fedora-clad Pharrell, in his finest velvet tux, and a flashy pair of sunglasses.
Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet in Jean Paul Gaultier
Considering the two lovebirds are yet to formally debut their relationship on the red carpet, this one may be a reach, but it would be totally iconic to see them arm in arm this year. Kylie Jenner paid homage to the esteemed André Leon Talley in 2023 – who is regularly referenced as a modern Black dandy in contemporary fashion – and Chalamet consistently earns top spot as one of Hollywood’s best dressed males (not a particularly difficult title to claim, but a rare one at that). So, if both the celebrities are joining hands, exceptional tailoring will be in no shortage in their outfits. Jenner is frequently feathered in Jean Paul Gaultier, which would make a timely, show stopping moment for the pair to be dressed in, being that Dutch designer Duran Lantink has just been tapped as the French atelier’s creative director. Perhaps a deconstructed suit, sewn through Gaultier’s androgynous lens.
Colman Domingo in Willy Chavarria
Colman Domingo has built an incredibly busy film catalogue over the past few decades, whether it be as the friend of Rue Bennett AKA Zendaya in Euphoria, the leading man in 2023’s Rustin, and now Tina Fey’s Netflix comedy The Four Seasons, which begun streaming this week. He’s dipped his finger into every pie, and the 55-year-old actor dresses with a similar can-do, open-minded attitude. As a co-chair for this year’s Met Gala, Domingo is set to be chock-full of Dandy references, and when it comes to subversive menswear, look no further than Willy Chavarria. The Mexican designer opened his eponymous label ten years ago, unfolding as an open dialogue into how masculinity, and Chavarria’s own identity as a queer Latino, is shaped through dress. Chavarria’s design language is eccentric and soft in nature, unafraid to dabble in rich colours and interesting silhouettes, making him a perfect partner for Domingo’s indulgent style identity.
Doechii in Grace Wales Bonner
If somebody’s watching me, then let it be Doechii, because the fashion world certainly has its eyes on the rap-diva, after her iconic stint at Paris Fashion Week back in March. Sam Woolf, Doechii’s stylist, decked out the breakout star in look after look, serving so hard she almost gave us a case of whiplash. Now, we know the Alligator Bites Never Heal rapper has a good relationship with Thom Browne (see her Grammy performance), and yes, Thom Browne’s designs are underscored by strong elements of deconstructed tailoring, which would probably be the more predictable answer here. But we think Grace Wales Bonner would be a groundbreaking moment for Doechii, especially considering both of the ladies are a part of the Met Gala’s host committee. Wales Bonner, who started off as a menswear designer after graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2014, honours the Black legacy in her meticulously tailored designs, emphasising community, and identity, as core elements of her creative ideology. Tailoring aside, the designer also ushers in elements of modern streetwear to her work, which has granted her many a cult-favourite sneaker over the past few years, making Doechii an awe-worthy muse for the British-Jamaican designer. Though if we’re speaking frankly, whatever Doechii opts for, given her fashionable track record, it will probably be iconic.
A$AP Rocky in Dapper Dan’s Gucci capsule
A$AP Rocky last made his entrance through the Met Gala’s doors in 2023, when the rapper turned out in a red Gucci-fied kilt, adorning a cluster of stacked ‘G’ belts, we’ve got our fingers crossed that the counterpart to Queen Riri will elongate his good relations with the Milanese label, and go full on Dapper Dan Gucci. Dapper Dan, real name Daniel Day, is the Harlem-born-and-bred designer of the ‘80s, who started his namesake luxury boutique that later got shut down due to copyrighting controversies. Day screenprinted the monograms of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi and MCM onto streetwear-inspired tracksuits and bomber jackets, amongst other things. He toed the line between West Africa and America, uniting the two styles together to make something totally unique for its time. Fast forward to 2018, and Alessandro Michele invited Day to create a capsule collection for Gucci. It’s a beautifully layered legacy, and we think A$AP would make the perfect muse to bestow this collaboration upon.
Zendaya in Ozwald Boateng
If Gordon Ramsay could muster up a Michelin star Met Gala recipe, the ingredients would most likely feature a jaw-dropping gown sported on Zendaya, mother of all things Met Gala. The actress, it-girl, and The Met Gala’s favourite piece of eye candy, will be turning heads on Monday evening, it’s not up for discussion. We could fantasise about all of the potential designers who would eat up a Zendaya Met Gala moment: Christopher John Rogers, Torishéju, Valentino, Bianca Saunders, Priya Ahluwalia, the list is nothing short of bountiful. Jokes aside, the muse to Law Roach would stun in a custom Ozwald Boateng suit. Boateng was a trailblazer of his time: son of two Ghanaian immigrants, the designer grew up in North-London, becoming the first Black designer to open a shop on Savile Row in 1995. He then flipped the status quo on its head, inspired by the suits his dad wore, Boateng revived Savile Row with his sleek, vibrant tailoring, going onto work for Givenchy as its menswear creative director from 2003-2006. With an armoury of cultural heritage on his back, Boateng was a pioneer for Black dandyism, and his suits would do justice to his legacy if paired with Zendaya.
Words – Freya Goodchild-Bridge
