Regina King Embodies the Garden of Eden—and Generational Black Talent—at the 2025 Met Gala

For Regina King’s Met Gala 2025 look, Ev Best and Tela D’Amore—the co-founders and creative directors of New York-based label Who Decides War—wanted to make a suit that went above and beyond standard haberdashery.

In one of the design’s components, the designers took that literally: See an extended lapel over the left shoulder, which was D’Amore’s take on “not just any” tailoring. “Very stark notes,” she said of the exaggeration during a fitting with King this past Saturday. “And the start of a structural conversation.”

The discussion then went deeper: There’s a green-graphic sprawl of “crawling lace” embroidered across the wool-blend jacket and trousers, which Best said was inspired by “the Garden of Eden, and how I look at the world through a Black lens as opposed to a European lens.” (Eden, as it happens, also influenced an early Who Decides War collection. The label has since gone on to be a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist and a LVMH Prize semifinalist, along with having multiple pieces featured in “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”). D’Amore mentioned that the embellishments further evolved to channel cartography: “classic terrain maps, and their colors.”

Photo: Getty Images

The suit’s visual centerpiece is another motif: three Black angels of grandparent, child, and grandchild ages. “We swapped out the angels that would’ve been overlooking Eden to have Black features—to be people of color,” said Best.

King, having stepped out from a changing area with the work-in-progress suit pinned and tucked around her shoulders, said, “I want to acknowledge that we have a dad-and-son team here. That makes my heart full.” She was referring to Best’s father, himself a tailor, who worked extensively on the look. It made the symbolism of the multi-generational angels all the more poignant.

“We wanted to work with Who Decides War because not only do they do really unique twists on fine tailoring from a suiting perspective, but also, they deliver a high street style angle, too,” said Wayman Bannerman—who styles King alongside Micah McDonald—while watching the outfit take shape.

“[Of the shows I’ve seen over the years,] ‘Superfine’ is the Costume Institute exhibition I think I’m most looking forward to,” continued King as a team began making adjustments–heightening the trouser leg here, pinning the jacket’s triangular closure there. “I m happy that they’re giving a nod to those who have been the culture establishers ever since… well, forever.” She also added: “Black men—Black people throughout history and all across the diaspora: Our aesthetics are how we show our culture. It includes jewelry, it includes makeup, going all the way back to Africa, the motherland. This is something that’s been passed down and passed down. It’s within our blood.”