Janelle Monáe’s Dandyism Moment at the Met Gala: A Fashion Collaboration with Oscar Winner Paul Tazewell and Designer Thom Browne
Janelle Monáe stuns at the Met Gala in a Black dandy-inspired ensemble, teaming up with Oscar winner Paul Tazewell and designer Thom Browne, featuring an ethical tequila diamond.
Janelle Monáe Embraces Black Dandyism at the 2025 Met Gala in a Groundbreaking Fashion Collaboration with Oscar Winner Paul Tazewell and Designer Thom Browne, Featuring an Ethical Tequila Diamond
At the 2025 Met Gala, Janelle Monáe made a daring fashion statement in favor of Black dandyism with a brilliant ensemble steeped in elegance, culture, and justified jewelry. Built with Paul Tazewell, Oscar-winning costume designer, along with famous designer Thom Browne, Monáe’s fashion statement was a powerful testimony to her identity and devotion to sustainability.
With a reputation for ever-stunning displays at the Met Gala, Monáe showcased an immaculate black, red, and white pin-striped suit tailored with sharp, pointy shoulders, which accentuated her frame. The outfit was completed with a top hat and an arresting black-and-gold clock hovering over her left eye for a slight wink to the surreal with grace. Moñae wore the 1800 Tequila ethical diamond brooch first tucked under the jacket later revealed on the tie. This diamond was not something that came from traditional mining methods, but made from Cristalino tequila, to symbolize Monáe’s more sustainable fashion choices.
The thought process behind the outfit was an intimate one for Monáe, as she expressed that it was honoring her ancestors and members of her family who wore dandy attire. “It felt like the right statement to make in fashion,” she said in a recent interview. “I was able to collaborate with such amazing minds and bring this vision to life.” Monáe went on to share her thoughts on the significance of working with Tazewell and Browne, commenting that it felt like when they were art school collaborators, each contributed their vision to the making of something extraordinary.
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Browne and Tazewell have a history together, having brought their expertise to Monáe’s 2023 Met Gala look that went viral; an oversized black-and-white tweed suit worn over a hoop skirt. This time, Browne’s allied and creative input alongside Tazewell and Monáe made for a darling homage to fashion, history, and personal identity.
The diamond from 1800 Tequila weighed heavy on the conscience. Traditional diamond mining, Monáe says, has mostly had adverse effects on African countries, which was why the one derived from tequila was all the more significant. Being for conscious, socially responsible jewelry, I would like to see more people take this Botswana diamond path,” Monáe said, re-emphasizing her commitment towards ethical fashion choices.”
“Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” was the Met Gala exhibition, adding even more attention to the impact Black dandyism had in fashion. This exhibition is a watershed moment for the Met as it is the first time in over two decades that the Met is exclusively honoring Black designers and menswear. Monáe stands among the many cultural icons at the forefront of this movement, including a bright future for Black dandyism, highlighting individuality and rebelliousness.
Monáe’s enthusiasm for the tequila diamond signals a far-reaching and forward-thinking attitude. With 16 months of aging in American and French oak barrels plus another six months in port wine casks, the brilliance of the diamond embodies the legacy of innovation. “I feel like this should be the future of diamond making,” Monáe said, emphasizing an ethical and sustainable way forward for luxury.
Even as Monáe continues to shine with avant-garde fashion choices, this very collaboration at the Met Gala is a memory that brings forth a new resolve for a marriage between style, heritage, and sustainability as a new norm for the fashion world.
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