Met Gala 2025 evening of Democracy and Grace. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo / Video Courtesy: Getty Images / Jamie McCarthy / Cameron Smith / Carolina Herrera / Cynthia Erivo / Ugo Mozie / Tom Ford / Thom Browne / Off-White / Chanel / Lupita Nyong’o / Marc Jacobs / Rihanna / Shakira / Prabal Gurung / Harbison Studio / Team USA.
The Met Gala, the annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, has long stood as a pinnacle of fashion, art, and culture. Each year, it gathers luminaries across industries to celebrate the intersection of style and storytelling, all while supporting the museum’s exhibitions and acquisitions.
This year’s Gala wasn’t just another glamorous night; it was, unmistakably, an evening of Democracy. The 2025 Met Gala upheld this tradition with remarkable splendor, offering a night filled with unforgettable appearances and quiet statements. The arrival of Former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff—last on the carpet but first in significance—was a moment that shifted the entire narrative. It was a statement. To bring together the most powerful Democrats from across the country under one roof wasn’t an accident. It was strategy. And courage.
A night that sparkled with stars, like few in recent memory.
Anne Hathaway in Carolina Herrera
Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway, known for her transformative roles from Les Misérables to The Devil Wears Prada, wore Carolina Herrera. Designed by Wes Gordon, the ensemble featured a crisp white shirt paired with a black-and-white striped column skirt, a thoughtful homage to the late André Leon Talley and his iconic style.
Cynthia Erivo in Givenchy
Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning performer Cynthia Erivo, celebrated for her starring role in Broadway’s The Color Purple and soon to headline as Elphaba in Wicked, captivated in a custom Givenchy creation by Sarah Burton. The structured jacket and corseted bodice, adorned with intricate red floral beading and layered over a voluminous tulle skirt, were complemented by a meticulously crafted manicure featuring miniature pocket squares.
Diana Ross in Ugo Mozie
Music legend Diana Ross, whose extraordinary career has spanned Motown hits, film, and decades of cultural influence, made a triumphant return to the Met Gala after two decades. She graced the evening in an opulent Ugo Mozie gown with an 18-foot train, embroidered with the names of her family—a deeply personal tribute wrapped in grandeur.
Madonna in Tom Ford
Pop icon Madonna, ever the provocateur and pioneer, embraced a tailored aesthetic in a cream-colored satin tuxedo by Tom Ford. The ensemble included pleated trousers, a wing-tipped collared shirt, and a single gardenia at the lapel. With a cigar in hand, she blended theatricality with classic poise.
Janelle Monáe in Thom Browne
Singer, actress, and activist Janelle Monáe, known for her genre-defying music and roles in Hidden Figures and Glass Onion, wore a striking Thom Browne ensemble. The two-piece design played with optical illusions: an overcoat with trompe l’oeil details layered over a floor-length skirt suit, topped with a surrealist bowler hat complete with an attached monocle.
Kamala Harris in Off-White and Doug Emhoff in Brunello Cucinelli
Former Vice President Kamala Harris made her Met Gala debut in a custom Off-White gown, created for her in 2013 by Virgil Abloh, featuring an asymmetrical neckline and a flowing sleeve in contrasting black and white cady silks. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, accompanied her in a classic tuxedo by Brunello Cucinelli, embodying understated elegance beside her statement of presence.
Lupita Nyong’o in Chanel
Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, whose work in 12 Years a Slave and Black Panther redefined cinematic representation, wore a pastel green Chanel suit with a cape. Her look was accented by black bedazzled eyebrows, a matching bow tie, and a petite top hat, evoking a playful, avant-garde sensibility.
George Lucas and Mellody Hobson
Filmmaker George Lucas, the visionary behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones, arrived with his wife, business leader Mellody Hobson, chair of Starbucks’ board of directors. Hobson wore a shimmering gray tweed suit adorned with bejeweled brooches and chains, while Lucas opted for a simple navy-blue suit paired with $60 Nike sneakers—a touch of signature casualness amid formality.
Rihanna in Marc Jacobs
Global music icon Rihanna, whose influence spans fashion, music, and entrepreneurship, made a memorable late entrance, revealing her third pregnancy in a custom Marc Jacobs ensemble. The look featured a black cropped jacket, pinstriped corset and skirt, and a polka-dot satin tie, completed with a Stephen Jones hat.
Shakira in Prabal Gurung
Colombian superstar Shakira, renowned for her global music career and philanthropic efforts, wore a pink Prabal Gurung gown with dramatic cutouts and a voluminous train. She accessorized with sheer black gloves and a pink gemstone pendant necklace, evoking a modern fairytale elegance.
Simone Biles in Harbison Studio
Olympic champion Simone Biles, a trailblazer in gymnastics and a symbol of strength and resilience, wore a custom electric blue mini dress by Harbison Studio, known as the Seraphim dress. The look featured a flowing train and towering platform heels, balancing power and grace, alongside her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens.
Whoopi Goldberg in Thom Browne
EGOT-winning actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg, a cultural icon across film, television, and theater, returned to the Met Gala in a Thom Browne tuxedo-inspired gown, completed with a classic top hat—a playful nod to performance and tradition.
Zoe Saldaña in Thom Browne
Actress Zoe Saldaña, celebrated for her leading roles in Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Trek, debuted a new cropped haircut with bangs to accompany her Thom Browne gown. The design merged masculine and feminine codes through a black-striped buttoned bodice, white-striped sleeves, and a sculpted suit corset.
Each appearance was more than fashion; it was a declaration of presence, artistry, and belonging. The 2025 Met Gala will be remembered not simply for its couture, but for the constellation of voices it gathered—some dressed in silk and sequins, others absent from the spotlight but no less vital to its creation.
It was, unmistakably, an evening of democracy.
