Still of Jon Batiste appears via GQ Instagram

Jon Batiste Among Luminaries Honored in Upcoming Met Gala

Jon Batiste will take part in this year’s Met Gala as a member of a newly revived Host Committee, returning to support The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Benefit after years of absence. This year’s gala, taking place May 5, 2025, will coincide with the launch of Superfine: Tailoring Black Style—an exhibition exploring the history, artistry, and impact of Black fashion, from tailored menswear to modern reimaginings of suiting.

Batiste joins a cross-section of artists, athletes, designers, and creatives who represent the ongoing legacy of Black innovation in fashion. Among them are André 3000, Janelle Monáe, Dapper Dan, Regina King, Simone Biles and fellow New Orleanian Sha’Carri Richardson, alongside honorary chair LeBron James. The committee complements the roster of gala co-chairs: Colman Domingo, A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, Pharrell Williams and Anna Wintour.

Wintour, long known as the visionary behind The Met Gala’s modern era, returns to co-lead the evening, which not only opens one of the museum’s most anticipated exhibitions, but also serves as the Costume Institute’s primary annual fundraiser. The gala’s theme, reflected in the dress code “Tailored for You, invites guests to channel the artistry of custom design and personal expression while referencing the precision and legacy of Black tailoring.

This year’s event also includes contributions from chef Kwame Onwuachi, who will curate the menu, and artist Cy Gavin, who is designing the red carpet experience. With support from sponsors including Louis Vuitton, Instagram, and the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation, the exhibition and gala aim to create space for a deeper conversation about how fashion and identity intersect—on runways, on red carpets, and in everyday life.

As a musician who blends classical technique with street-level soul, Batiste’s presence underscores the theme’s focus on personal style as a cultural and creative language. His work has long explored the relationship between tradition and innovation, making him a natural fit for an event dedicated to honoring Black excellence across disciplines.

According to the Met website, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style presents a cultural and historical examination of Black style from the 18th century to the present through an exploration of the concept of dandyism. To bring this rich subject to life, various artists have contributed to the exhibition through concepts that amplify topics explored in the curation. In her first-ever exhibition design, artist Torkwase Dyson uses her signature “hypershapes” to create a series of stand-alone monumental sculptures, or “architectural zones,” designed to hold questions around Black life—related to reflection, theatricality, scale, liberation, flight, and transcendence—and amplify moments of tension between motion, scale, and display in visitors’ experience. The two bespoke mannequin heads on display are by artist Tanda Francis and emulate bronze monuments. One of the works features numerous silhouetted profiles meant to represent a plurality of individuals and community as well as a visualization of the unseen: emerging from a central point is a face inspired by André Grenard Matswa of the Congo, the imaginative revolutionary who is considered the first Sapeur in that vibrant community that arose in the 1920s. Francis created this portrait within the theme of “protective styles” as a tribute to the unifying experience of function, style, and culture within the African diaspora. Artist and Special Consultant Iké Udé lends his unique expertise and experience as a dandy to curate a section of the exhibition that explores his own work and highlights Julius Soubise, whose style and behavior challenged societal norms in 18th-century London. Artist Tyler Mitchell’s images for the exhibition catalogue include a selection of dynamic object photography as well as a photo essay that portrays the camaraderie among well-styled Black men across generations. The catalogue also includes more than 30 essays by various thought leaders, artists, and other distinguished voices.

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style will be on view at The Met Fifth Avenue from May 10 through October 26, 2025.