Just two weeks after he made history as the first African artist to sell out the Stade de France, Burna Boy celebrated in style at the 2025 Met Gala. “Coming back this year with a look that speaks directly to Black excellence, heritage, and power makes it even more meaningful,” Burna Boy tells Vogue. “I’m excited to represent, not just walk.”

For his second Met Gala, the Nigerian singer turned to Ozwald Boateng—the first Black designer with a prestigious Savile Row storefront—for his look: a red tuxedo with an oxblood eelskin cape that nodded to his Nigerian roots.

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“With Ozwald, it had to be regal. We didn’t just design for the carpet—we designed for history. The royal red wool tuxedo commands attention, but it’s the oxblood eelskin cape that carries the weight of meaning,” Burna Boy says. “As a waterside pikin from the Niger Delta, the eel and fish in general are the lifeblood of my people—they symbolize survival, spirit, and the flow of tradition through generations. This look isn’t just fashion—it’s legacy in motion.”

Just one day before the Met Gala, the designer admitted that the look was a sharp pivot from what he originally had planned for Burna Boy. “Everything changes last second if you get inspired,” Boateng tells Vogue.

The last-minute switch-up perfectly underscored the evening’s dress code, “Tailored for You.” In fact, Boateng sees his role as a designer as that of a vessel. “For me, the key is always the wearer: How is the wearer feeling? My job is to amplify the vibration of the wearer and how that manifests itself,” he says.

Boateng was also keen to highlight Nigerian culture with the look. “[Burna] is proud of his roots,” the designer says. “It’s a very strong message around culture, and I feel that’s a very important message that needs to be out there. Things are changing, new voices need to be heard.”

While he’s always been a stylish dresser himself, Burna Boy is channeling the Black dandies in his own life tonight. “From Fela Kuti to my grandfather—to Ozwald himself—men who dressed and still dress with meaning, not just for style,” he says. “They used fashion as language, power, defiance, and resistance. That’s the spirit I channel tonight.”

Below, Burna Boy takes Vogue along as he gets ready for the 2025 Met Gala.