The 2025 Met Gala achieved a historic milestone. The event raised an unprecedented $31 million for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. This milestone marks the highest fundraising total in the event’s 77-year history, surpassing the previous record of $26 million set in 2024.
Vanity Fair reported that the Met’s director and chief executive officer, Max Hollein, made the announcement during a preview event.
Titled Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, the gala cost $75,000 for individual tickets, and tables for the event started at $350,000. All funds will support the Costume Institute’s exhibitions, acquisitions, and operations.
Co-chaired by LeBron James, A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, Pharrell Williams, and Colman Domingo, the event drew a diverse group of celebrities and cultural figures.
Honorary chair of the gala, LeBron James, was absent from the event due to an injury sustained during the Lakers’ playoff run. In his place, his wife, Savannah James, represented him. The businesswoman stepped onto the scene wearing a dress designed by Hanifa founder and CEO Anifa Mvuemba.
A notable attendee showed up in support of the Met’s Costume Institute. Former Vice President Kamala Harris made her first Met Gala debut. Harris wore a black and white silk gown created by Off-White designer and Creative Director IB Kamara.
The gala’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” celebrated Black fashion’s rich history and influence, focusing on Black dandyism and menswear. This year’s exhibition was co-curated by Andrew Bolton and Monica Miller. It is the first in over two decades to center on menswear, specifically Black menswear. It features three centuries-old garments, highlighting figures such as Toussaint Louverture, Frederick Douglass, and Virgil Abloh.
Crafted by artist Torkwase Dyson, the exhibition’s design employs sculptural platforms to present fashion in a dynamic vertical layout and offer a fresh take on the displayed pieces. The success of the 2025 Met Gala underscores the event’s significance as a cultural and philanthropic cornerstone.
Source: Black Enterprise