Did the Met Gala Do a Disservice to the Black Community?

Jaimee Paige Robinson
May 6
4 min read

Was It All Just Black and White

Let’s talk about it.

This year’s Met Gala theme was Superfine: Tailored Black Style, a powerful, overdue celebration of Black fashion, dandyism, and the legacy of style as rebellion. The dress code? Tailored for You. A wide-open runway to show off how Black people have always made fashion their own — custom, crisp, fly, and full of meaning.

So why did so much of it feel like a retreat instead of a celebration?

Now before y’all jump in the comments, let me remind you that the Met Gala dress code and the actual exhibit are two different things. That’s part of the problem. We do this every year. We get confused, or worse, distracted. The Superfine: Tailored Black Style exhibit (which, from what I hear, beautifully traces Black style all the way back to the 1700s) was supposed to be the spiritual foundation. The dress code? A runway to bring that spirit to life.

So what happened?

Most of what we saw on the carpet was black and white. Safe. Restrained. Some may say a little too Cotton Club cosplay. Yes, tailoring was sharp. Yes, there were nods to Harlem Renaissance elegance. But where was the heat? The texture? The joy? Where was the color, the flamboyance, the swagger?

Black fashion is not just about looking good, it’s a language. A legacy. And this year, too many people whispered when they should’ve screamed.

The Missed Moment

Tailored For You should’ve been an invitation to show how personal style and Black culture have always intersected. And yet, a majority of the looks felt rooted in one era, the Harlem Renaissance. A beautiful period, yes, but not the only one that deserved the spotlight.

From the Josephine Baker curls to the feathers, fringe, and some sequined gowns, it all started make sense. Instead of showcasing the evolution of Black fashion, they got stuck in one snapshot.

Fashion is supposed to be forward. Dandyism, especially in the Black community, was never just about suiting up, it was about bending gender, showing flair, and turning heads. Where was that edge?

Even Dapper Dan, the godfather of Black luxury style, went safe in a black-and-white suit. No pops of color, no signature touch. A missed opportunity to live loud when the spotlight was literally his.

Black Celebs: Did They Let Us Down?

I’m not here to drag anyone, but I find people questioning if our faves seized the moment or not. With a theme made for us, the red carpet should’ve been bursting with culture, confidence, and creativity. But many of our A-listers played it safe. Why? Is it the climate of the world? Is it the pressure? Were the designers afraid of misappropriation and getting canceled?

Yes, most of the the tailoring was immaculate. These looks were clearly custom, fitted, and well-executed. But there’s a difference between being dressed well and being dressed with intention. And in a moment centered on Black style, Black identity, and Black self-expression, some celebs looked more like mannequins for the designer’s vision than the authors of their own. I mean literally. Rosalia, in Balmain, came as a mannequin and Jeremy Pope, in vintage Maison Margiela, represented fashion under construction. Seriously?

This was the one time when flamboyance wouldn’t be “doing too much” — it would’ve been on brand. And instead, we got silence in color. Silence in storytelling. And some are saying too many looks felt tailored to impress, but not tailored to speak.

Fashion Is Still Subjective… But It’s Also Symbolic

Yes, fashion is art. Yes, it’s personal. But when you’re walking the Met carpet under a theme that centers Blackness, the moment becomes bigger than you. What and who you wear isn’t just a flex — it’s a statement.

And while some celebs looked amazing (tailoring was top-tier across the board), it now feels like the deeper message got lost in the sauce. This wasn’t just an ordinary Met Gala theme, it was representation. And many people left it on the table, however for those who didn't, the tailoring was the main attraction.

When Escape Starts to Feel Like Reality

Part of what made this year’s Met Gala hit different, and not in the best way, was the weight of the world right now. We’re living in heavy times. Wars. Protests. Injustice. Uncertainty. And while that might seem unrelated to fashion, it shows up in how people express themselves — or don’t.

Maybe that’s why so many played it safe. Maybe everyone’s tired. Maybe we’re scared to be bold when boldness can be misread or misunderstood. But fashion has always been our protest, our poetry, our play. This was supposed to be our escape.

The Met Gala, especially for us, has become more than a red carpet. It’s a digital family reunion. We huddle around our phones, our group chats, our timelines, laughing, debating, hyping, dragging. It’s how we build community in real time. It’s how we see each other. It’s one of the few moments we all get to step out of survival mode and into celebration. To witness Black beauty, creativity, and imagination at full volume. And yet this year, instead of feeling transported, many say they were left thinking about the very world we wanted a break from.

Because when Superfine: Tailored Black Style became muted and monochrome, it mirrored a truth a lot of us are already living which is shrinking ourselves to survive. But that’s not what this moment was for.

This was supposed to be our fashion homecoming. A place where the fits were loud, the colors were loud, and we were loud. Where Black style wasn’t just on display, it was alive, breathing, commanding space.

So next year, when the lights hit the steps and the cameras flash, I hope we remember: this is ours too. Not just the history. Not just the tailoring. But the moment! Let’s show up in full color. In full voice. And make sure the world knows, when the theme is Black, we don’t come plain. We come Superfine.

My Superfine picks of the night: