How to describe the scene at Willy Chavarria’s 2025 Met Gala after-party? Dapper, debonair, and delightfully dandy.
Each first Monday in May, New York’s most exclusive hotels transform into Met Gala command centers. The Mark Hotel, just blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a perennial favorite—its black-and-white striped lobby turning into a de facto red carpet as paparazzi cluster outside, hoping to catch a post-gala glimpse.
This year, The Mark played host to a celebration co-thrown by Willy Chavarria, Tequila Don Julio, and stylists Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald. The dashing co-hosts took this year’s exhibition theme—”Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”—to heart. Chavarria, for one, dressed Maluma in a green-and-blue iridescent brocade suit that turned heads on the Met steps. With his recent expansion into womenswear, the designer had even more reason to celebrate—and his after-party was as stylish as they come.
Chavarria arrived adorned in accessories: a dramatic hat, gloves, and layers of necklaces. Fellow designers in attendance included Michael Kors, Wes Gordon, Zaldy, Raul Lopez, and Batsheva Hay. Elsewhere in the crowd, guests like Khaby Lame, Padma Lakshmi, Taraji P. Henson, and Maluma exemplified the evening’s celebration of Black creativity and expressive tailoring.
Given the gala’s “Tailored for You” dress code, after-party fashion featured inventive suiting, statement vests, pussy-bow blouses, and exaggerated silhouettes—all brimming with personality. Many on the dance floor wore Chavarria’s own designs.
Inside the hotel, guests sipped Tequila Don Julio cocktails and did shots dressed with citrus and gold leaf. The room was drenched in seductive red light and decked in roses, echoing Chavarria’s moody, romantic aesthetic. The lobby pulsed with energy—its iconic striped floors teeming with celebrities like Tyla, Doechii, Charli XCX, Ashley Graham, and Imaan Hammam. And yes, The Mark’s signature Haute Hot Dog Cart made an appearance.
On a night devoted to transformative style, Chavarria, Don Julio, Bannerman, and McDonald delivered a party that was—fittingly—tailored to perfection. Few after-parties looked quite so superfine.