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The first Monday of May. The biggest night in fashion. Star-studded. The Met Gala is the annual style-showdown, where celebrities don their gladdest rags and head to the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to pose before a slew of photographers.

The extravagant affair honours and raises funds for the Costume Institute exhibition at the Met, and its theme is in line with the exhibition itself.

This year’s theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”, and according to Vogue, the exhibition draws inspiration from Monica L Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.

A dandy is usually described as a man who dresses impeccably, placing importance on his physical appearance and grooming. Black dandyism became a form of resistance and an expression of identity in a racially segregated America. In the words of Vogue, Black dandyism was “an elegant middle finger to a society that sought to define them by race, not character.” The Met Gala this year was not just an homage but a direct acknowledgement of the impact of Black dandyism on fashion.

This year’s gala comes five years after the enormous anti-racist uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement, which pushed a number of cultural institutions in the United States to grapple with their representation of race and diversity, AFP noted.

This Met theme is years in the making but now coincides with US President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to quash institutional initiatives to promote diversity — a push to keep culture and history defined on the Republican president’s terms.

“Obviously, this exhibition was planned many years ago, and we didn’t know what would be happening in the political arena, but it’s taken on a new sense of importance and purpose,” Vogue chief Anna Wintour, who is the main host of the Met Gala, told AFP.

Good looks, good looks and good looks

Within seconds of celebrities’ pictures flooding social media, the internet rushes to weigh in on the best and worst-dressed people of the night. As the theme celebrated a distinct culture, several stars rose to the occasion and delivered stunning looks. Here were some of our favourites.

Diljit Dosanjh

The Punjabi rapper, hailing from India, has been winning hearts around the world recently and made his Met Gala debut this year in a white and gold ensemble from Indian designer Prabal Gurung. Laden in jewels from his turban down to his fingers, Dosanjh looked nothing short of a maharaja.

Dosanjh brought a South-Asian twist to the concept of dandyism. In his Instagram caption, the ‘Naina’ singer wrote, “Inspired by the theme of Black dandyism, I bring my turban, my culture and my mother tongue to the Met Gala.”

Teyana Taylor

If there was one person who truly understood the assignment, it was singer-songwriter Teyana Taylor. She arrived in a black suit with red pinstripes and matching huge red coat, the back fully pleated and “Harlem Rose” embossed in the fabric. Taylor worked with Oscar-winning Black Panther costume designer Ruth E Carter on the look, Vogue reported.

The look was accessorised with a large red flower on the right side and silver flower lapel pins on the left, red leather gloves, a complimenting cane and a red fedora hat with complete with a feather.

Jodie Turner-Smith

British actor Jodie Turner-Smith was another celebrity who truly paid homage and respect to Black dandyism, in burgundy textured leather custom creation by Burberry. The look incorporated “strong shoulders, cinched waists and impeccable tailoring” and was finished with a matching tall hat that sat at an angle. Tens across the board.

Lewis Hamilton

The British racing driver, one of the chairs for the event, embodied the theme of the year in a sharp cream suit by Grace Wales Bonner. It wasn’t just a suit though, Hamilton wore a cropped jacket, high-waisted trousers with a tuxedo stripe, coattails, and a white bow tie, with an embroidered ivory sash hanging from his waistband. The look was topped off with a matching backwards cap and diamonds glittering in his ears, lapel, cuffs, hands, all the way down to his shoes. Understated, sure, but exuding luxury.

Colman Domingo

American actor Colman Domingo, another chair for the occasion, stunned in not one but two exuberant looks. The first was a flowing, royal blue cape from Valentino, with shoulders embellished with golden sequins — an ode to the late André Leon Talley, the first Black man to serve as Vogue’s creative director.

Domingo soon shed the cape to reveal a second look — high-waisted, textured grey pants, a white shirt and black jacket with white checks and pearls adorning each conjoining line. The three-piece custom zoot suit was also designed by Valentino. “The intricately embroidered checked suit jacket was accented with an oversized polka dot flower on the lapel,” Elle reported.

Janelle Monae

America singer Janelle Monae opted for an optical illusion of a dandy suit, a mix of this year and 2019’s theme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion”. Monae was serving major 1930s vibes in a Thom Browne overcoat, with a faux tie that deceives the eye (or a trompe l’oeil tie, in French), and a hat with a monocle attached.

Monae took off her coat to showcase a similar linear suit, half pinstriped black and white and the other half a bright red with white accents. The image of the bag on the coat was identical to the one she had hidden beneath it. Pretty cool!

Lauryn Hill

The iconic Lauryn Hill made her Met Gala debut in a butter yellow double breasted suit and matching wide-legged pants. What really drew everyone’s attention was a sculpted cape — also yellow — that peaked over her left shoulder and cascaded all the way down in an elegant train behind her. The perfect feminine touch to a suit.

Another highlight? Her blue Hermes Kelly bag, adding a bright pop of colour.

You could’ve tried a little harder

Stuck squarely between the good and the bad are the ones who gave it a shot but either missed the mark or just couldn’t stick the landing — the mids.

Shah Rukh Khan

Put down your pitchforks. We’re sorry, but King Khan didn’t knock our socks off in his Sabyasachi look. Mr Bollywood wore a deep V-necked black shirt, black cumerbund, black straight-fitted pants and a long coat.

Khan told Sabyasachi that he only wears black and white and felt comfortable in his outfit. The designer himself said that he wanted to “represent Shah Rukh Khan as Shah Rukh Khan, and no one else.”

The actor was bedazzaled with stacked necklaces, which included a massive diamond studded K — presumably for King? — a snowflake broach and cane topped with the head of a tiger, an ode to Sabyasachi’s logo.

Khan looked good, but the only oomph in his outfit came from the accessories and overall, he didn’t really follow the theme. As one of our followers so aptly said, he looked like a “non-PTA Johnny Depp.”

Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra wore a polka dot number from Balmain paired with a wide -brimmed hat. The outfit started out as a coat with a full skirt, shortly after Chopra shed the coat and skirt to reveal… a pencil skirt and sleeveless top of the same pattern. Perhaps the look was better compared to her Met looks of the past, but she brought us nothing unique or earth-shattering. She looked like she was ready to hunt for some Dalmatians for her next coat à la Cruella de Vil.

Kiara Advani

Another Bollywood star in attendance, Kiara Advani showed-off her baby bump in a black dress from Indian designer Gaurav Gupta. The look featured a golden breastplate which connected by an “umbilical chord” to a smaller heart shaped metal plate tied across Advani’s baby bump. Symbolic, sure. Cute, yeah. On theme? Absolutely not. The actor looked good, but we wonder if her invite detailing the theme got lost in the mail.

Just stay at home

And last, the worst of the lot. Celebrities whose looks made us think, ‘Man, you should’ve stayed home.’ Not only did they refuse to dress according to the theme, their outfits were the opposite of a slay.

Hailey Bieber

We think someone told Hailey Bieber that the theme for this year’s Met Gala was “Go on girl give us nothing!” given the amount of effort she bothered to put in. A plain black dress jacket, some sheer stockings, simple jewellery and a scowl, voilà!

We wonder if she looks so done with everything because her husband Justin Bieber isn’t there or if her real dress didn’t work out last minute.

The mini blazer dress was from Saint Laurent, if you care. We certainly don’t.

Sydney Sweeney

Actor Sydney Sweeney looked like a glitzy star, ready to hit any red carpet — just not the Met Gala one because there was barely anything dandy-esque about her look. The black Miu Miu gown reportedly paid homage to Vertigo star Kim Novak who Sweeney will portray in the upcoming drama Scandalous.

Kendall and Kylie Jenner

Much like their friend Hailey Bieber, the Jenner sisters took the minimal, boring, non-thematic approach to the Met Gala. Kendall’s monochromatic grey tailored jacket and skirt were from Torishéju Dumi, while Kylie wore Ferragamo. Both, for some reason, decided the theme meant grey and boring.

Lisa

K-pop royalty and member of the supergroup Blackpink, Lisa made her Met Gala debut in Louis Vuitton — in case you missed the logo repeatedly stamped all across her black bag. She wore a lacy, bedazzled jacket, and sheer Louis Vuitton stockings, again, embroidered heavily with the brand’s logo.

What left the internet reeling, however, was her underwear, which apparently showed American activist Rosa Parks face in lace. We’re not sure that’s the best way to pay tribute to an icon…

Jimmy Fallon

Television host Jimmy Fallon was present, and left us absolutely FUMING. With a theme that celebrates tailoring for men, Fallon chose to be the most basic he could possible be and wore — a plain suit with a bowtie. No coat tails, no fun scarf or tie, no accessories at all. Fallon left us disappointed with a capital D. While he isn’t known for his fashion, a little effort is necessary for an event entirely about style.

We didn’t bother finding out who designed this suit, because does it matter? You could find this at Zamzama.