‘Dandyism Is About Intentionality’: Pharrell Williams Decked Himself Out in 100,000 Pearls at the 2025 Met Gala
As one of the co-chairs of the 2025 Met Gala, few attendees were as well suited to shut down the red carpet as Pharrell Williams. The creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear is, of course, an enduring style icon, with his wildly successful career spanning the worlds of music, art, fashion, and design—and his innate creativity has long seemed to simply emanate from everything he wears.
A fan of impeccable suits (especially short suits), Williams found a way to spotlight the evening’s theme of tailoring and Black dandyism in a fresh new way. To hit the Met steps, he wore a custom double-breasted pearl blazer—his own design, brought to life by his Vuitton design team. The jacket alone took 980 hours of work and features 100,000 pearls, and Williams punctuated it with a pair of black flared dress trousers—his signature silhouette. His jewelry, meanwhile, was made by Tiffany Co.
“To me, dandyism is about intentionality—a sport of getting dressed,” Williams tells Vogue. “It’s not just about dressing well. It’s about using style as a form of self-expression and freedom. Pearls have become a part of that for me, which is why I created a pearl double-breasted jacket for this look.”
Williams has attended the Met Gala eight times prior to this evening, so suffice to say he’s a veteran. This year’s theme, however, had a particular resonance. “I see dandyism as a set of rules and standards,” he told Vogue back in April, “that reflect a certain sophistication and well-traveled taste. For Black people to hit that mark or exceed it and be consistent with it is a matter of pride. And consistency garners respect.”
