Nigerian music stars Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Tems and award-winning author Chimamanda Adichie made a striking impact at the 2025 Met Gala, on Monday, May 5.
Held at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, this year, the biggest fashion event in the world celebrated the theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and its deep influence on global fashion.
The official dress code is “Tailored for You,” a nod to the spring 2025 exhibition’s focus on menswear and is “purposefully designed to provide guidance and invite creative interpretation.”
Among the standout appearances, Grammy-award-winning Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer — Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, professionally as Burna Boy for his return to the Met Gala— wore a red tuxedo with an oxblood eelskin cape, styled by Ozwald Boateng, the first Black designer with a prestigious Savile Row storefront.
Nigerian-American actress and comedian Ayo Edebiri wowed in a custom Ferragamo piece adorned with intricate coral beading, a nod to traditional Edo royalty and her Nigerian roots.
While, Tems, the soulful hitmaker, stunned in a blue and green tailored mermaid vest gown designed by Ozwald Boateng, the British designer of Ghanaian heritage whose suiting-forward designs feature prominently in Superfine.
Renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie made her first debut, donning an elegant red ball-like dress, adding a touch of literary grace to the night’s glamour.
Like the prominent author, Ayra Starr’s made her first Met Gala debut, wearing a black leather dress with a walking stick.
The event was co-chaired by A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour, with LeBron James as honorary chair, showing the global influence of Black style.
Beyond fashion, the 2025 Met Gala celebrated the rich cultural stories woven into Black dandyism with Nigerian talents proudly at the forefront.