Anne Hathaway attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Tessa Thompson attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Tessa Thompson attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Colman Domingo attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Al Sharpton attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Anne Hathaway departs The Carlyle Hotel prior to attending The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
Colman Domingo attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
FILE - Andre Leon Talley arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala benefit, celebrating the ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’ exhibition, Monday, May 2, 2011 in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)
FILE - Andre Leon Talley seen at the The Daily Front Row Second Annual Fashion Media Awards at the Park Hyatt New York on Sept. 5, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, File)
Anne Hathaway attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour wrote extensively about her old colleague in her editor’s letter last month, writing that she would be “thinking of him on the night of the Met Gala, an evening made for him — and one I can scarcely believe he will miss.â€
And she was hardly the only one. Many attendees, as diverse as Anne Hathaway and Rev. Al Sharpton, had Talley top of mind as they walked the blue carpet Monday. Hathaway, in Carolina Herrera, said she dressed specifically for him.
Sharpton, meanwhile, wanted to spotlight Talley’s trailblazing contributions to the fashion world. He said that people like Talley fought to have a night like this. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style†is the first Costume Institute exhibit to focus exclusively on Black designers.
Event co-chair Colman Domingo seemed to pay homage to Talley’s passion for dramatic capes, and possibly even the look that Talley wore in 2011, with his bright blue Valentino.
Some were more obvious. Actor Tessa Thompson wore a fan accessory with the late famed Vogue editor pictured on the front, and model Paloma Elsesser wore a leather jacket decorated with his face while on her way to get ready for the event.
And others got extra creative, channeling Talley’s infectious exuberance. Doechii, who is on the host committee, recreated a famous photograph of Talley joyfully bounding out of a hotel, with a larger-than-life smile, a tennis racket and arms full of Louis Vuitton luggage.
The point, everyone seemed to understand, was to have fun with it. Talley would have.
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