Met Gala’s Latino moments: Bad Bunny wears a pava and Maluma wears a zoot suit

Most of the time, the gowns that take over the Met Gala’s red carpet are worn by women. But not at this year’s iconic event. 

The 2025 theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” and the dress code was “Tailored for you.” The purpose of the theme and exhibition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art was to explore and honor the history of Black tailoring and dandyism. 

Black dandyism flourished in Harlem as more than a style, it was an expression of resistance against the constrictions of society placed upon Black men. In the 1920s, Harlem became the place to be for Black intellectuals and artists. 

It is in that spirit that this year’s Met Gala chose to give recognition of Black contributions to fashion. Tailored suits were the prevalent look on the red carpet. 

Bad Bunny understood the assignment and wore a tailored brown suit with a pava, a hat that represents Puerto Rican resistance and political power. 

His choice reflects the message from his recent album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” which celebrates his homeland of Puerto Rico. 

He also announced his world tour yesterday with no dates scheduled for the United States, making yet another statement about the state of the world and its relationship to the U.S. It’s Bad Bunny’s response to the isolationist spirit of the present administration.

Maluma took another historical style to the Met Gala: The zoot suit. 

Dressed by Willy Chavarria, who wore a pink zoot suit himself, the blue and green textured zoot suit came complete with a hat and long chains. Except instead of feathers adorning the hat, it had pink flowers. 

The Pachuco-style attire was a tailored look that Black and Latinos wore in the 1930s and 1940s, as an act of defiance and creating identity. 

Met Gala co-chair Colman Domingo wore a majestic blue cape with a silver collar over a perfectly tailored grey set of trousers with a black and white plaid jacket with a giant rose as a brooch, all designed by Valentino. 

There’s a reason the award-winning actor, director, producer, playwright, and minister was selected as co-chair. Domingo understands fashion like very few gentlemen in Hollywood do. He always goes beyond the standard black suit on the red carpet. 

Sorry Shakira, this red carpet was for the men and their suits, although her pink dress did seem tailored for her by designer Prabal Gurung. The light pink gown may not be a color frequently used in menswear but Willy Chavarria’s zoot suit proves it can be done. The see-through black gloves Shakira wore did give her look a retro style, so it was loosely on theme.