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Colman Domingo attends the 2025 Met Gala; André Leon Talley attends the 2011 Met Gala.
The Rustin and Sing Sing actor also referenced Othello as an inspiration for his look.
Colman Domingo, one of the co-chairs of the 2025 Met Gala alongside A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, and Pharrell Williams, was among the first celebrities to arrive at the event and walk the red carpet. The Sing Sing actor wore an oversized blue cape that many interpreted as a reference to former Vogue creative director André Leon Talley.
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In an interview, Domingo elaborated on the inspirations and references behind his show-stopping look.
"I wanted to take this across the seas, in many ways," Domingo told Vogue on the red carpet. "I got inspiration from sort of the Moors, like Othello the Moor, and kings, and also the color blue. The blue was a color that, when we were doing our research with Monica [L. Miller], she was telling me that a freed slave wanted to wear his finest blue, superfine, wool suit… And I thought the color blue is perfect for tonight."
He continued, "I feel like it gives you choir, it gives you king, it gives you all of those moments, and it's a little nod to André Leon Talley as well. There's a great photo of him, actually, at the Met Gala, with a beautiful blue cape." Talley, of course, was the late editor-at-large of Vogue magazine.
When asked how he felt about attending the Met Gala as a co-chair, looking at a picture of his younger self, the actor said:
"I'm proud of eight-year-old Colman, who was awkward, and skinny, and a nerd. But he had dreams. He believed he could be something else. And it looks like a manifestation of not only my dreams, but many dreams of my family and ancestors."
He added, "I know I'm standing in a moment that's for not only myself, but many men and many women, who toiled, who made sure I had what I had, as working-class people. I represent West Philly. I represent queer culture. I represent many people, so I'm very, very proud to stand in this space."
The 2025 Met Gala is currently being live-streamed on Vogue.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out. He's also a staff contributor to The Advocate, PRIDE, and other equalpride publications. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida.
You can follow Bernardo Sim on Instagram. Otherwise, you can find him on Bluesky, Threads, X/Twitter, and TikTok.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out. He's also a staff contributor to The Advocate, PRIDE, and other equalpride publications. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida.
You can follow Bernardo Sim on Instagram. Otherwise, you can find him on Bluesky, Threads, X/Twitter, and TikTok.
