This year’s Met Gala theme is quietly radical because it invites the industry to celebrate the Black aesthetic but also acknowledge its history.

The style Adams would embrace had a name: dandyism. And dandyism was at the heart of Monday’s Met Gala, where many of the world’s most famous and influential tastemakers donned their luxury best to kick off the Met’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibit. But Black dandyism isn’t limited to expensive couture — it’s displayed daily.