Kamala Harris Wears African At The Just Concluded Met Gala
In a gracious surprise that thrilled fashionistas and politicos everywhere, former Vice President Kamala Harris made her Met Gala debut in 2025, featuring a custom-made Off-White gown created by Sierra Leone-born designer Ib Kamara. The gala, titled “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” celebrated Black fashion and style pathfinders, with Harris’s ensemble paying homage to her African roots and to the late style icon André Leon Talley.
Kamara, who took over from the late Virgil Abloh as the creative director of Off-White in 2022, infused the dress with elements of his Spring/Summer 2025 “Duty Free” collection. The collection, inspired by Kamara’s trip to Ghana, blended African craftsmanship with American sportswear sensibility, epitomized by body-conscious silhouettes and utilitarian layers.
Harris’s Met Gala visit, nonetheless, generated controversy. Democratic critics criticized her for attending the exclusive, $75,000-per-ticket event as tone-deaf, especially amid the party’s recent electoral losses. Some viewed it as reinforcing elite detachment, even though she has been a long-time supporter of Black designers.
Yet Harris’s fashion statement helped to highlight the deep history of Black fashion and queer imagination. Kamara, celebrated for his fashion that disrupts traditional race, gender, and sexual norms in fashion, has always defied rules. His fashion often incorporates traditional African imagery, as in his previous collections where he featured elements such as West African draping and bottle cap appliques.
The 2025 Met Gala also included other celebrity sightings, including Tems in a deep blue chiffon lace by Oswald Boateng, Ayra Star in a classic black dress with a arm slits and Diana Ross in a dramatic feathered and beaded white evening gown. The event celebrated the heritage and influence of Black fashion within the fashion world, a powerful and fashionable nod to cultural heritage.
In the end, Harris’s maiden appearance at the Met Gala was a reflection of the evolving face of fashion, where politics, culture, and style intersect. Reactions to her appearance were varied, but it certainly provoked discussions on representation, heritage, and the role of public figures at high-culture events.
