The Met Gala 2025’s Most Memorable Accessories for Superfine: Tailoring Black Style

BY SASHA-LEIGH HODGEN
May 6
7 min read

The accessories at the 2025 Met Gala were nothing short of extraordinary—each one a bold declaration of artistry, identity, and innovation. Far from mere embellishments, they became narrative devices, carrying the weight of history, culture, and imagination. Whether sculpted in ancestral gold, coded with futuristic tech, or woven from mythic symbolism, these pieces transformed their wearers into living archives and provocateurs. See below for the standout accessories that defined the evening.

1. Janelle Monae

Mike Coppola| Getty Images

Janelle Monáe’s appearance at the 2025 Met Gala was a masterclass in speculative elegance—where fashion, futurism, and ancestral memory converged in one glinting detail: a custom watch monocle, worn not as a timepiece but as a portal. Designed in collaboration with Caribbean horologist-designer Malik Thompson, the object fused utility with symbolism, referencing both Victorian precision and Afro-diasporic innovation. Encased in brushed platinum and set with a ring of black opals, the monocle hovered at the edge of her eye like a techno-relic, simultaneously futuristic and ancient. Its gears—visible beneath a lens etched with fractal glyphs—ticked with a quiet insistence on nonlinear time, echoing traditions where past, present, and future collapse into ritual and rhythm. More than accessory, Monáe’s monocle functioned as talisman and technology—an emblem of diasporic timekeeping where Black memory is archived not in museums, but in the body and the beat. With it, she gazed forward and backward at once, her look a cipher for liberation narratives still unfolding.

2. André 3000

André 3000 arrived, not merely dressed but orchestrated—his look anchored by a breathtaking miniature grand piano accessory that redefined wearable art and music. Crafted by experimental designer and sound artist Naima Rivers, the piano was a fully functional piece, scaled to a delicate shoulder harness and wired to respond to motion, playing soft, improvised chords as he moved.

Cast in obsidian resin and trimmed with mother-of-pearl keys, it nodded to both Southern Black musical traditions and Afrofuturist imaginings, where sound becomes architecture and memory. The accessory blurred the line between instrument and ornament, evoking the salon-era intimacy of a parlor performance while also conjuring visions of a sonic future untethered from colonial frameworks. In typical André fashion, it was eccentric, soulful, and utterly original—a wearable requiem and celebration all at once.

3. Lauryn Hill

Savion Washington| Getty Images

Lauryn Hill made a majestic return to the Met Gala red carpet, embodying a sense of ancestral grandeur that aligned beautifully with the evening’s theme. Her look, already rich in sculptural elegance and textural layering, was elevated by the exquisite jewelry she wore—custom pieces created by British-Ghanaian goldsmith and designer Emefa Cole. Known for her bold, organic forms and deep ties to African heritage, Cole crafted adornments for Hill that paid direct homage to the regalia of Ghanaian royalty.

Each piece—whether a collar-like choker, stacked gold cuffs, or carved ear ornaments—echoed the power and symbolism of traditional Akan court jewelry, where gold is not merely decorative but a material embodiment of status, spiritual protection, and ancestral lineage. Rendered in raw yet refined textures, the gold glowed with a sense of permanence, grounding Hill’s futuristic silhouette in centuries of West African tradition.

The jewelry offered a vital counter-narrative to Western luxury—placing African craftsmanship and royal aesthetics at the forefront. Lauryn Hill, already an icon of conscious artistry, became a living sculpture of resistance and reverence. With Cole’s work gleaming against her skin, she didn’t just wear gold—she wore a legacy, reasserting Black beauty and sovereignty in a space that has too often marginalized both.

4. Tessa Thompson

Kevin Mazur| Getty Images

Tessa Thompson graced the Met Gala with a presence that was both regal and reverent, wearing an ensemble that masterfully balanced sculptural elegance with layered homage. But the true centerpiece of her look was the hand fan she carried—an ornate, custom-made accessory emblazoned with the image of the late fashion titan André Leon Talley. In a night steeped in themes of Black dandyism and diasporic identity, the fan was more than an accessory—it was an act of tribute, remembrance, and reclamation.

Crafted with baroque detailing and trimmed in velvet, the fan depicted Talley in one of his iconic jackets, posed in stately grandeur. Known for his towering intellect, larger-than-life style, and fierce commitment to elevating Black presence in high fashion, Talley himself was a modern embodiment of the dandy archetype—a man who used opulence and erudition to challenge exclusionary norms in the fashion world. By centering his image within her look, Tessa paid homage not only to his aesthetic legacy but to the force of his advocacy and unapologetic self-expression—a subtle yet powerful declaration that the legacy of André Leon Talley lives on, not only in archives, but in the language of fashion itself.

5. Lizzo

Jamie McCarthy| Getty Images

Lizzo arrived with her signature blend of glamour and subversion, captivating the red carpet in a dramatic couture look that nodded to vintage decadence with a razor-sharp modern edge. Among the standout elements of her ensemble was a long, elegant cigarette holder—bedazzled and theatrically poised in her hand—an accessory steeped in layered symbolism and rich with historical nuance.

Lizzo’s cigarette holder wasn’t just an homage to Old Hollywood glamour or jazz-age opulence. It was a subversive nod to the tradition of Black dandyism and the reclamation of European aristocratic codes of style. Once a marker of privilege and performative femininity among white elites, the cigarette holder became, in Lizzo’s grasp, a statement of controlled spectacle—a tool of elegance used to upend expectations.

By wielding it with playful dominance, Lizzo embodied the essence of the dandy as a figure of resistance—using beauty, poise, and a touch of satire to challenge systems of power and representation. The accessory also tapped into the performative history of Black women in entertainment who, during the early 20th century, used theatrical tools like fans, gloves, and cigarette holders to craft personas that transcended the limits placed upon them. In Lizzo’s hands, the cigarette holder was both ornament and armor—an extension of her message: that glamour can be revolutionary when worn with intention.

6. Jon Batiste

Dimitrios Kambouris| Getty Images

Jon Batiste turned the Met Gala into a stage for cultural storytelling, bringing his signature blend of musicality and sartorial finesse to the red carpet. Dressed in a sharply tailored ensemble that echoed both jazz-age sophistication and diasporic dandyism, Batiste carried a gleaming, custom-embellished saxophone—an accessory that went far beyond performance, functioning as a powerful extension of the night’s theme.

The saxophone, adorned with intricate gold detailing and subtle motifs inspired by African diasporic art, symbolized more than music—it was a vessel of heritage, resistance, and creative autonomy. Rooted in Black American cultural expression, the instrument evoked the Harlem Renaissance and jazz as a form of liberation and self-definition during a time when mainstream society sought to suppress Black individuality. The saxophone became a poignant emblem of the stylish rebel: one who communicates not only through clothing, but through sound, presence, and poise.

By bringing his musical instrument to the red carpet, Batiste blurred the lines between fashion and performance art, reclaiming space as both an artist and an icon. It was a subtle but deeply symbolic gesture—reminding onlookers that for Black creatives, adornment and artistry have always gone hand in hand, each note and stitch telling a story of survival, elegance, and unshakable pride.

7. Andra Day

Mike Coppola| Getty Images

Andra Day brought a layer of theatrical intrigue and historical wit to the Met Gala, accessorizing her opulent look with a pair of bedazzled opera binoculars that turned heads and sparked conversation. While her ensemble paid homage to the gilded elegance of vintage stage divas, it was the sparkling binoculars—glimmering with crystals and perched delicately in her gloved hand—that tied her entire narrative together in a strikingly thematic way.

The accessory wasn’t merely decorative. It referenced the practice of 19th and early 20th-century high society—where fashion, performance, and voyeurism collided in the boxes of European opera houses and colonial-era theaters. More pointedly, the binoculars served as a metaphor for observation and self-awareness—placing the gaze back in the hands of a Black woman in an environment where historically, Black bodies were often viewed but rarely seen in their full autonomy.

In the context of Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, Andra’s choice offered a subtle critique of spectacle and control, while also reclaiming the power to look, rather than merely be looked at. With each shimmering glance through the binoculars, she embodied both the performer and the observer, challenging the traditional dynamics of the red carpet and echoing the exhibition’s themes of identity, resistance, and radical elegance.

8. Diljit Dosanjh

Dimitrios Kambouris| Getty Images

Diljit Dosanjh brought regal gravitas and cultural homage to the Met Gala red carpet, honoring the evening’s theme with a look rooted in history and symbolism. Working with a custom design house known for its meticulous craftsmanship, Dosanjh paid tribute to the early Indian dandies of the 20th century—figures who used style as both a form of elegance and subtle defiance under colonial rule. Channeling the spirit of the nabob, his ensemble fused Edwardian silhouettes with traditional South Asian textiles, blending a sharply tailored bandh gala jacket with opulent embroidery reminiscent of royal courts.

But it was his accessory—a ceremonial sword—that truly deepened the narrative. More than an ornamental prop, the sword referenced the kind carried by Indian maharajas, signifying sovereignty, honor, and divine duty. Its placement in Dosanjh’s look spoke to the theme’s exploration of diasporic identity and resistance through style. By incorporating this symbol of highest royalty, he anchored his dandyism in power and lineage, transforming the red carpet into a runway for cultural pride and sartorial storytelling. The look stood as a testament to how fashion can bridge past and present, East and West, tradition and modernity.

9. Doechii

Jamie McCarthy| Getty Images

Doechii delivered a bold and cerebral fashion statement, collaborating closely with Louis Vuitton’s creative director Pharrell Williams to bring her vision to life. Her look drew direct inspiration from Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, the scholarly work underpinning this year’s Costume Institute exhibition. Speaking with Vogue’s red carpet co-hosts, the rapper emphasized how the ensemble was designed to explore and exalt the history of Black dandyism—a tradition that uses elegance and flair as tools of cultural resistance and identity assertion.

Doechii’s outfit, a masterful fusion of sharp Vuitton tailoring and decadent embellishment, was rich with symbolism. One of the most arresting details was the cigar accessory she carried, a deliberate nod to the performative power and contradictions of Black dandyism. Historically associated with wealth, leisure, and masculinity, the cigar acted as a provocative prop—reclaiming a colonial symbol and turning it into an assertion of autonomy and swagger. In Doechii’s hands, it became both a fashion flourish and a cultural commentary, underscoring the rebellious elegance at the heart of her look.

In a year where the theme invited reflection on time, lineage, and possibility, the accessories didn’t just complement the fashion—they defined it. These iconic adornments will be remembered not only for their craftsmanship but for how they reshaped the red carpet as a site of storytelling, resistance, and re-enchantment. The 2025 Met Gala proved that when jewelry and accessories speak, it can echo across generations.