By Mia Linder | Photo credit to Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
It’s officially April, and we have good news and bad news:
The bad news is that it’s time to pay your taxes.
The good news is that there is only a month until the fashion Super Bowl: The Met Gala, hosted by Vogue every year on the first Monday of May.
A$AP Rocky, a Harlem-rooted rap artist, was a co-chair of last year’s Met Gala celebrating Black dandyism and Black design excellence. Anna Wintour, former editor-in-chief of Vogue, insisted that Rocky sported a black designer; he did just that by choosing to wear his own brand, Awge.
“I think fashion was always my first expression,” Rocky says. He adds that his involvement in last year’s event was a “dream come true.”
In Vogue’s behind-the-scenes vlog that allowed us to be in the room where the magic (the pre-gala fitting) happens, we were practically brothers in arms with Rocky’s brand.
To him, every earth-shattering outfit doesn’t start with a piece of fabric and a dream; it starts with the decorations in the room where the fitting takes place. Rocky brings personal items to brighten up the space to ignite inspiration – whether it’s a copy of his own neon monochromatic Vogue issue, or a bright pink cactus statue placed in the corner.
He happens to be a jack of all arts; along with his sensational music career and clothing brand, he has a home decor label called HOMMEMADE.
Not only does Rocky make his own rules in hotel rooms, but also in the fashion world. Sleek style isn’t reserved exclusively to artists who make music comparable to what you hear at the ballet; rap music is simply a different translation of the art that must be protected equally.
The first thing Rocky did upon his arrival at the fitting was change his daytime-esque white framed sunglasses to his jet-black Ray-Bans.
He means business.
Over the past two years, Rocky has entered unmarked territory in his personal brand. He’s left on-carpet street style in the first verse, and his new chorus is luxury suits.
His stylist of 15 years, Matthew Henson, has fully supported this transition. “This is my big brother,” Rocky refers to him. “Creating with Matt is like working with a blank canvas; he allows you to be you. I like [working] with people who’s not afraid to color outside the lines,” Rocky says.
When asked if the two ever disagree during fitting sessions, Rocky playfully says that they “fight productively,” which is arguably healthy for any professional relationship.
And on that note, they each crack a smile.
Vogue has worked with Rocky plenty before and has formed a newfound strand of fashion identity for him by placing him in sophisticated, tailored silhouettes that speak to the preciousness of his music.
But despite the change of structure–physically in the fabric and metaphorically in the feel–Rocky’s fittings with Vogue never represent what we see in The Devil Wears Prada; the most silent room with the highest stakes.
In fact, the vibe of his session is quite laid back and feels like being in an eclectic vintage store–just playfully throwing on pieces and seeing what sticks.
Rocky’s 2025 Met Gala look was finalized as a mixture of tailored and technical.
The dandyism was represented by a black, fresco wool, Awge trenchcoat with a silhouette that intentionally mimicked a Marmot suit jacket; a garment known by Harlem natives as the best of the best.
Henson describes Marmot jackets as a “crazy, outdoor technical jacket;” they can be seen on just about anyone riding the subway. The jackets came in unconventional colors during the Y2K streetwear-era; bright reds, electric blues, and blinding yellows.
Under the coat, Rocky wore a white collared shirt, matching wool dress pants, and custom Awge satin boxers peeking above the waistline. The collective aesthetic could have spoken for him all night. It attests for Rocky’s personality by saying, “I’m here, I’m chill, but if you truly understand me, you’ll see that I’m outshining you.”
But his feet were a different story.
Rocky wore Louboutin x Awge red bottom dress shoes, which stood as an entire gala of their own. Henson says, “I like this dressed up look embracing your fatherhood.”
Rocky alludes to the fact that his dad-era is a shift in what fashion looks like for him going forward; he says, “that’s just me,” and he’s grown out of a past style from when he was discovering his place in the music industry.
In Vogue’s video, Rocky goes on a humorous yet passionate rant about how Harlem set the precedent for what streetwear is in the city now: Work boots under baggy jeans and Pelle Pelle leather jackets.
Rocky cheers, “Harlem! HARLEM!” Henson bites back by defending Brooklyn and says, “You’ve got to cross the bridge to see the fashion.”
In classic home-video-from-your-dad fashion, Rocky ends the fitting session by filming a camcorder clip giving advice for fresh faces attending the Met Gala. He says, “Make sure you don’t OD on snacks.”
But one thing we could never get enough of?
The abundance of fashion excellence that’s about to hit that iconic staircase at The Met.