Lewis Hamilton Co-Chairs 2025 Met Gala in Wales Bonner Suit With Ancestral Beads and Shoes Inspired by Andre Leon Talley
Lewis Hamilton did his duty as a co-chair for the 2025 Met Gala and arrived to the event early. The Formula 1 racer was on hand to help greet attendees at the much-anticipated event as they ascended the stairs, the carpet of which featured daffodils — it was inspired by a painting from artist Cy Galvin. For his look, he sported an homage to the late Andre Leon Talley.
Hamilton, who is a co-chair of the event for the first time and received a Vogue cover to commemorate, wore a suit from British brand Wales Bonner. Designed by Grace Wales Bonner, the suit included a cropped jacket and was done in off-white. His stylist, Eric J McNeal added Briony Raymond jewelry by way of a brooch and rings.
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“The color ivory denotes purity and status,” McNeal wrote in a note about the look. “Ancestral beads and freshwater pearls shine with garnet-coloured diamonds … eternal amulets.”
For shoes, Hamilton’s footwear included a tribute. The style was a black patent leather style created in collaboration between Wales Bonner and Manolo Blahnik. The slick styles included a wide toe. They also boasted a stacked heel to add height. Most notably, they boasted a shimmering buckle.
The collaborative partnership started through a relationship that began with the Wales Bonner fall 2017 collection and has lasted for seasons. But in the context of this year’s Met Gala it takes on additional emphasis: former Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley has often been name-checked as one of the foremost dandies in culture over the past few decades. Talley and Blahnik had a long personal friendship and working relationship, not only with Talley often using the designer’s shoes for spreads in Vogues but wearing them to various events including the Met Gala.
“He was like a brother to me, and I treasured every minute of our five decades of friendship,” Blahnik said in a statement in 2022 when Talley passed. “André was a force in fashion and paved the way for so many creative people in an industry he adored and was integral to. He was honest, spirited and always candid.”
All guests wearing Wales Bonner at this year’s Met Gala will be wearing shoes inspired by Talley. Some are made in pony skin and others in patent leather, but they all source inspiration in the style Andre wore which often featured a crystal embellished buckle or a satin bow.
The 2025 Met Gala is unfolding on May 5, the first Monday in May, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City with the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” Celebrity co-chairs include Colman Domingo, Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky and Lewis Hamilton. This year, the philanthropic event raised $71 million for the Costume Institute, a record-breaking number for the Met Gala.
