This hidden meaning behind Gigi Hadid’s Met Gala 2025 dress fits perfectly with the theme

The Met Gala 2025 just happened last night (May 5) at the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and it was as over-the-top as you’d expect. This year’s theme was Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. It was a bold and slightly controversial one that had everyone talking.

While loads of celebs turned up in black (duh, considering the theme), Gigi Hadid took a totally different route.

So, what did Gigi Hadid wear at the Met Gala 2025?

Gigi rocked up in a radiant golden Miu Miu gown, crystal-covered and shimmering from every angle. And while some keyboard critics were quick to label the look as “something one would wear to a prom”, it turns out they completely missed the point.

Gigi Hadid is referencing Josephine Baker, the first Black actress to star in a major film, wearing custom Miu Miu at the #MetGala pic.twitter.com/aZzZcBwBO7

— 📸 (@metgalacrave) May 5, 2025

Far from random, Gigi’s look was actually a meticulously thought-out homage to a legendary Black fashion and entertainment icon. Yep, her gown was a tribute to none other than Josephine Baker, the Jazz Age superstar known for her daring style, fierce performances, and powerful activism.

Her dress was also a nod to the genius of Zelda Wynn Valdes, the pioneering Black designer who originally created the gown Baker made famous. If that name sounds familiar, Valdes also designed looks for Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Diahann Carroll, Dorothy Dandridge, and even created the very first Playboy bunny costume. Talk about iconic.

As Gigi told Vogue: “It’s a celebration of Zelda Wynn Valdes. She really took on the essence of Black dandyism.”

So, did her dress honour the theme?

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Now, the night’s theme wasn’t just about looking sharp in black. The Met’s spring exhibition, also titled Superfine, focused on Black dandyism: A style that’s flamboyant, bold, and refined, used by Black people throughout history to make their mark in a fashion world long dominated by white aesthetics.

Curator Monica L. Miller explained it best: “This exhibition explores dandyism as both a pronouncement and a provocation.” Miller, by the way, wrote the book Slaves to Fashion, all about how fashion links with race, class, sexuality, and power in Black diasporic identity.

So while Gigi’s look may have flown over the heads of some, it was totally on theme, honouring the legacy of Black designers, celebrating elegance, and making a statement in gold.

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Featured image: John Salangsang/BEI/Shutterstock