Halle Bailey, a Grammy-nominated musician, will wear a custom Coach jacket at the 2025 Met Gala in honor of the Costume Institute exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” The Harlem Renaissance-inspired ensemble features a navy and cream wool evening jacket by fourth-generation designer Arturo Castañeda, crafted with over 10,000 individual tonal pavé crystals. The jacket is hand-embellished by local artisans to achieve a vintage luster. The silk satin corset, handcrafted in New York City, adds modern sparkle to the outfit, showcasing historical tailoring references.
Bailey also wears embellished platform heels with pavé crystals and a custom diffusing filter-veil with denim rhinestones by Stephen Jones. The look is finished off with a kisslock clutch with archival details in the same pinstripe pavé crystal detail as the evening jacket.
In celebration of this year’s Met Gala theme, Bailey’s look honors the legacy of American tailoring and Coach’s enduring heritage of craftsmanship, authenticity, and self-expression. Vevers and Bailey collaborated closely to conceive a look that pays tribute to the bold theatricality and sparkle of the 1970s but is ultimately grounded in the tailored sophistication of the 1920s and ‘30s and particularly evokes the Harlem Renaissance. The silhouette, reminiscent of the Zoot Suit, bridges these eras and speaks to a history of performance, self-styling, and resistance through dress.
