Kendall Jenner Channels a Queer Icon in Her Most Surprising Met Gala Look Yet
Kendall Jenner Channels a Queer Icon in Her Most Surprising Met Gala Look Yet
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| Kendall Jenner |
With 11 Met Gala appearances to her name, Kendall Jenner is no stranger to turning heads. Yet at the 2025 Met Gala, the supermodel stunned fashion insiders and fans alike by forgoing legacy designers in favor of a rising star: British designer Torishéju Dumi, whose avant-garde tailoring has attracted the likes of Zendaya, Naomi Campbell, and Paloma Elsesser.
"I had a vision of being very minimal and tailored for this Met," Jenner revealed, “and I went on the hunt to find something interesting and fresh and super-exciting to me.” That search, facilitated by stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, led her to Dumi, whose technical mastery and creative depth pushed the boundaries of traditional tailoring.
This year’s Costume Institute theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," delved into the legacy of Black dandyism—primarily through a menswear lens. But Jenner and Dumi reinterpreted the concept by drawing inspiration from a lesser-known yet groundbreaking figure: Gladys Bentley, the queer nightclub singer of the Harlem Renaissance who defied gender norms through her commanding stage presence and signature three-piece suits.
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| Kendall Jenner |
“She had a really strong sense of self,” says Dumi of Bentley. “She took tailoring—something often viewed as strictly masculine—and made it entirely her own.”
Rather than recreate Bentley’s iconic white suit and top hat, Dumi crafted a sculptural, sharply tailored skirt suit for Jenner. The design featured an elongated torso, cinched waist, and exaggerated curves—a modern tribute to Bentley’s subversive spirit, interpreted through a feminine silhouette that still echoed traditional tailoring codes.
The result? A look that was not just elegant, but conceptually rich—merging fashion history with forward-thinking design.
With this bold choice, Jenner proved that sometimes the most powerful statement on fashion’s biggest night comes not from sparkle or spectacle, but from honoring those who paved the way—and trusting the next generation to carry it forward.
