Let’s be honest: when the Met Gala theme dropped—“Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”—a lot of us had one tiny, lingering fear. And her name was Kimberly Kardashian.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a high-drama Kim moment as much as the next gossip-fueled fashion nerd, but her track record with themes that require nuance? It’s… mixed at best. So yeah, when she hit the carpet wearing a head-to-toe black leather Chrome Hearts fit styled by Rihanna’s longtime stylist Jahleel Weaver, I was both impressed and mildly terrified.
Like—yes, she looked hot. Obviously. The croc-embossed leather vest was snatched to the gods, and the ultra low-rise skirt sat so low I think my soul left my body. The hat screamed “dominatrix detective,” and the neck full of diamonds said “please continue to take me seriously.” A look, no doubt. But a theme?
Let’s rewind real quick. In case you missed the memo (or Vogue’s 18 posts), this year’s Met Gala was all about celebrating Black dandyism—an aesthetic rooted in resistance, elegance, and expression across the African diaspora. Think texture, tailoring, lineage, legacy. Now… leather domination and Chrome Hearts energy? That’s a different lane entirely.
Still, I’ll give Kim this: she did not reach for a corset. And that, my friends, is growth.
Remember last year when she wore that Maison Margiela corset so tight it caused a literal panic attack? Yeah. She shared that on The Kardashians, casually admitting she was in “the most pain of her life.” For a look. For fashion. For the drama. Icon behavior, if not exactly advisable.
But this year, it seems she took a tiny breather from the medieval waist-snatching and went for something more… breathable. (Or, like, as breathable as crocodile-stamped leather can be.)
Let’s also not forget this is a woman who was once booed at the Met and went home crying in her Givenchy floral couch couture. Now she’s showing up with A-list stylists, commanding her own Met Gala legacy, and still causing discourse. That’s called staying power, baby.
So yeah, maybe the look wasn’t exactly on-theme. Maybe it didn’t scream “Black dandyism!” the way, say, Doechii or Colman Domingo’s looks did. But it did scream Kim. Which, depending on how you see it, is either completely off-base or entirely the point.