The Metropolitan Museum is one of my favorite places in the world. It helps that it borders Central Park in New York, the greatest city in the world — I’m sorry Chicago. In high school, I would take the train into the city whenever I could and use the student “pay what you can” deal — which was not a lot — to spend my day among some of the greatest art in the world.

My first time seeing fashion as an artform was with the 2019 Met Gala theme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” I went a handful of times that summer and dragged my friends and family with me. I would joke that I was “taking them camping.” That exhibit opened something inside of me. It showed me that fashion was more than just clothing — it was a look into history.

This year’s Met Gala became a piece of fashion history itself. The exhibition that will be featured in the museum is the first in 20 years to focus on menswear exclusively.

The theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” It was a celebration of the role of Black culture in fashion. This role was on full display, casting a long-overdue spotlight on the artistry and cultural impact that Black creatives have brought to the industry.

The red carpet started with an acapella performance of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by gospel choir Silk Sound, led by Allen Rene Louis. Dressed in sleek, elegant black suits, the performance paid homage to Black dandyism, described by Vogue as “a fashion revolution, a movement steeped in history, resistance, and pride.”

With Black dandyism, fashion was used as a force of self-expression and resistance. People dressing with intention and challenging racial norms.

Ty Gaskins explained the word best to Vogue, “In a world where Black people have been marginalized, the dandy became a figure who defied the rigid categories of race and class that sought to confine them.” It is this reminder that we must hold with fashion. It is never just about the clothing, but the identity behind them.

One of my favorite quotes was from Pharell, who said, “You work your ass off all week and when it’s time for Sunday’s finest. You throw it on.”

The best dressed of the night went to the co-chairs of the event: Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharell Williams. Each of the co-chairs brought a distinct interpretation of the theme.

Domingo wore two looks, his first a bright blue, Valentino cape. The cape came off revealing a black-and-white zoot suit underneath. Domingo drew his inspiration from kings and from the late Andre Leon Talley, Vogue’s legendary editor-at-large. He is without a doubt one of the best dressed men in Hollywood.

Domingo’s Formula 1 co-chair, Hamilton, was one that I was excited for. Hamilton’s look was by Grace Wales Bonner. We saw quite a bit of the all-white suit on the red carpet, but his stood out. The look was a nod to jazz singer Cab Calloway.

As Hamilton said, “This is more than a suit. This is ancestral history.”

I was excited for A$AP Rocky to arrive as I knew that Met Gala icon Rihanna, A$AP Rocky’s partner and pop star, would be walking the carpet. And walk she did, revealing her pregnancy to the world. His look was a custom design from his agency AWGE.

Pharrell Williams wore over 100,000 pearls in his piece. Williams serves as Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Creative Director, so it was not shocking that his look was perfectly tailored to his body and to the theme.

“To me, dandyism is about intentionality—a sport of getting dressed,” Williams told Vogue. “It’s not just about dressing well. It’s about using style as a form of self-expression and freedom.”

My favorite look of the night was worn by the living legend Diana Ross in a gown designed by her son Evan Ross and designer Ugo Mozie. Ross has not attended the Met Gala since 2003 and what a return she had. Her look featured an 18-foot train and the names of her children and grandchildren. It was beyond.

Zendaya followed Ross on the carpet, proving why she is the fashion darling of her generation. Dressed in a crisp tailored white suit, her look paid homage to an era of power dressing in the 1970s and 1980s. Her design was a custom look from Louis Vuitton designed by Pharrell.

Another great fashion moment was from singer Coco Jones. It was her first Met Gala, and she did not disappoint. Jones was dressed in Manish Malhotra. Directly after the event, she headed to her first date on her “Why Not More?” tour in Philadelphia.

This year’s Met Gala was not just a celebration of fashion, but a celebration of identity and the incredible legacy that Black creatives have left and continue to leave. The first Monday in May will always be one of my favorite days of the year and this year was one for the books.