23 Black Designer Looks That Stole The Show At The Met Gala Through The Years

In 2019, TV and radio host Bevy Smith was invited to the Met Gala. Smith took this as an opportunity to bring awareness to an issue: the lack of Black designers worn at the Met. The 2019 Met Gala theme was “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” Smith wore a fantastical look by designer Black designer Kimberly Goldson, while Dapper Dan designed her Gucci cape, and Tiannia Barnes designed her shoes. Even her crown was designed by Black hat designer Anthony Maxwell. Smith made it a point for the special evening to be an “all-Black everything” affair. 

Dapper Dan dressed four more stars for the evening including rapper 21 Savage, actor Omari Hardwick, actress Regina Hall and fashion titan Bethann Hardison. For the rapper’s look, he designed a gold-patterned black jacket that Savage wore with a pair of black leather pants. Hardwick was styled in a light green patterned suit with a tan vest layered underneath while Hall wore a gold off-the-shoulder dress with a bee detail at the bust and a stunning pink sleeve detail. Last but certainly not least, Hardison arrived in a black sparkling pleated jacket with a long train, red and green pants, and a matching headdress. Her black double G heels completed the look with a Dapper Dan touch to perfection. Designer Victor Glemaud create a custom look for actress Dominique Jackson. She stunned in a black and white dress with a glamorous white draped trim along the entire hem of her gown.  

That same year, tennis icon Serena Williams wore a vibrant yellow dress with pink floral-like appliques by Off-White designer and founder, the late Virgil Abloh. Actress Lena Waithe wore matching suits with her designer Pyer Moss. Waithe and Moss honored the Black drag queens who inspire Camp aesthetics. 

After the pandemic, the Met Gala continued in 2021 with the theme “In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion.” F1 driver Lewis Hamilton made a statement about the lack of Black designers on the invitation. Hamilton invited designers Edvin Thompson, Kenneth Nicholson, and Jason Rembert. The three all dressed celebrities that night with Thompson outfitting professional track star Sha’Carri Richardson and supermodel Alton Mason. Nicholson designed a look for Hamilton, and Rembert dressed Kehlani. This night was monumental as Hamilton had paid for each designer to have a seat at his table to make a statement about Black designers’ importance. Another Black designer who dressed celebrities in 2021 was Victor Glemaud. He customized a piece for actress Laura Harrier in a dreamy cinched waist and voluminous gown.   

In 2022, Taofeek Abijako was selected to dress Black Panther actress Danai Gurira. He created a breathtaking blue sheen gown with an artistic strapless bodice with structured draping. Meanwhile, musician Questlove was dressed in a black outfit designed by a Black quilting group called the Gee Band and designer Greg Lauren. The theme that year was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.”

Last year’s Met Gala had many Black designer moments that we hope are repeated tenfold this year. The theme was in honor of the late designer Karl Lagerfeld entitled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” La La Anthony was invited for the first time wearing a white one-shoulder gown by Sergio Hudson while Keke Palmer also wore a dress by Hudson that was a strapless tweed, form-fitting gown. Our cover star Usher came onto the red, white, and blue carpet with his designer and date Bianca Saunders wearing a tailored black suit with a pair of black gloves and a satin white button down and tie with a diamond brooch detail. Elsewhere, rising rapper Ice Spice also attended for the first time last year. The New York native wore a white sheer paneled gown designed by Olivier Rousteing for Balmain. Actor Jeremy Pope also donned a look by Rousteing. It consisted of a white feathered top with a dramatically long train with Lagerfeld’s face displayed on it.  

Keep scrolling to see all these incredible Black designer moments in honor of the upcoming 2024 Met Gala event.