“It will be a celebration of all things Black culture and excellence”

It’s that time of year. Who’s who in celebrity, culture and fame will put on their finest finery and walk around and take some pics and be seen. Yes, that was a lot of “ands.” Anyways, Pharrell Williams is preparing for a night to remember as he steps into his role as a first-time co-chair of the 2025 Met Gala, taking place on May 5 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. With the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” setting the tone for the evening, Williams expects a powerful and visually stunning celebration.

Get this, the multi hyphenate artist and designer spoke about the event during an appearance on The Run-Through With Vogue podcast, expressing excitement for the theme and its broader cultural impact. “It will be a celebration of all things Black culture and excellence,” he shared.

Williams elaborated on the deeper meaning behind the night, stating, “It’s going to be a very impactful, beautiful night where we celebrate the color Black. We celebrate the things that come from that color. We celebrate the mentality. We celebrate the plight. We celebrate the progress and the success. And we celebrate the potential.”

Highlighting the diversity of excellence in the Black community, he added, “We see it in all different forms, right? From authors to architects to artists to academics and to athletes, all A words. But, yeah, that’s what that night is all about. It’s like the best of the best, top of the top.”

The inspiration behind this year’s theme is drawn from Monica L. Miller’s influential book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, and Williams hopes the evening fully embodies the spirit of that vision. “That’s what that night is going to be, the manifestation of using the platform to celebrate us and all of our enthusiasts,” he said. “That means people who are not necessarily Black, but just, like, enthusiasts of the Black culture and enthusiasts of the Black color and enthusiasts of everything that has something to do with Black and Brown.”

Vogue’s red carpet livestream will capture the elegance and creativity of the night, hosted by Teyana Taylor, La La Anthony, and Ego Nwodim, with Emma Chamberlain serving as a special correspondent. The livestream will be available across Vogue’s digital platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, beginning at 6 p.m. ET.