Beyond the Theme: Modern Day Dandy Dressers Give Their Take on this Year’s Met Gala Style

As the fashion world turns its gaze to the Met Gala’s red carpet, a different kind of sartorial statement unfolded across New York City. In celebration of this year’s theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, EnVi gathered a group of Black and POC dandies who are redefining modern elegance on their own terms.

Photographed at iconic cultural landmarks like the steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the historic Apollo Theater, this portrait series pays homage to a legacy where tailoring, storytelling, and self-expression meet.

Rooted in the Met’s accompanying exhibit, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style centers the craftsmanship, rebellion, and nuance embedded in Black fashion history. Few aesthetics speak to that more clearly than dandyism, a style movement born out of resistance and cultural pride. In reclaiming tailoring as a means of self-definition, modern dandies don’t just get dressed, they articulate identity and legacy.

Rooted in the Met’s accompanying exhibit, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style centers the craftsmanship, rebellion, and nuance embedded in Black fashion history. Few aesthetics speak to that more clearly than dandyism, a style movement born out of resistance and cultural pride. In reclaiming tailoring as a means of self-definition, modern dandies don’t just get dressed, they articulate identity and legacy.

More than just well-dressed individuals, the participants in this series: Raheem Nelson, Diego León, Ánderson Garó, and Rody McDonald embody dandyism as an act of care and creativity. Below, they share how style becomes identity and how fashion can speak even before a word is said.

“To me, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style is a celebration of defiance through elegance,” said creator Diego Leon. “It honors a legacy of Black individuals who used fashion as resistance, identity, and art… My personal style leans heavily on that ethos—refined, intentional, and rooted in heritage.”

For Leon, dandyism is about “precision and play.” His tailored looks often feature unexpected flourishes, from vintage lapel pins to fun accessories, always with storytelling in mind. “I treat every fit as storytelling…making everyday style feel like an event.”

“Style is personal,” said Garo, who describes his day-to-day wardrobe as blue-collar workwear and his weekend looks as a sharp pivot into suit-driven self-expression. “I may be in work boots during the week, but when I put on a suit, I want it to say something.”

Though new to the term “dandyism,” Garo realized he’s long embraced its values. “Every element of the outfit has to be cohesive, from color combinations to the tie, shirt, and shoes. Even if I didn’t have the language for it before, the intention was always there.”