Former vice president Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were among the luminaries in attendance at Monday’s prestigious Met Gala in New York City.
The California Democrat and her husband swerved the event’s red carpet but did pose for some behind-the-scenes pictures withVanity Fair.
Harris wore a custom gown from Off-White, featuring a flowing, floor-length white sleeve and black main dress with a train, designed in cady silks by the company’s creative director, IB Kamara, according to Vogue.
Kamara told the magazine that Harris represented the values embedded in this year’s Met Gala theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” and its emphasis on “dandyism.”
“The true core of dandyism is rooted in confidence and strength,” Kamara said.
“There is no person who exemplifies these characteristics more than Kamala D Harris, someone who has overcome adversity and continues to be a beacon for so many.”
While the official account of the Democratic Party posted Harris’s picture on X, she did attract some harsher criticism over her attendance at the Gala.
Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the 2025 Met Gala – though she skipped the red carpet. (Cameron Smith)
Harris wore a custom gown from Off-White, featuring a flowing, floor-length white sleeve and black main dress with a train, designed in cady silks by the company’s creative director, IB Kamara (Cameron Smith)
Harris, the former vice president, has kept a low profile since losing the 2024 election. But, she and her husband Doug Emhoff made an appearance at the annual New York City event. (Cameron Smith)
Link Lauren, a former adviser to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, wrote on X: “Kamala Harris attended the Met Gala tonight, which is perfectly on brand for the Democrat Party. An elite bougie event where celebrities traipse up a staircase in wildly expensive outfits. Sounds about right!
“Those celebrity endorsements didn’t help her campaign though! Not even Beyoncé! And is that Doug’s lover on the left?”
A number of other X users also responded negatively, with one telling the ex-VP: “You really never ever read the room.”
Others likewise derided Harris and her husband for being “out of touch” and failing to honor the working class.
Harris has largely kept out of the public eye since her loss to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election last November.
In her first major speech since, at an event in San Francisco on Wednesdaty April 30, she accused the Republican of abandoning American ideals and setting the U.S. up for a recession in his first 100 days in office.
While the Biden administration official opted for a more low-key appearance at the Gala by shunning the press pack, her fellow attendees grabbed major headlines.
Pop star and beauty mogul Rihanna was filmed the day of the event with a visible baby bump, which would be her third child with musician A$AP Rocky, one of the co-chairs of this year’s gala.
The musician, for his part, appeared at the event holding a diamond-encrusted Briony Raymond umbrella with a handle shaped like a revolver, an apparent reference to his recent acquittal on gun charges.
Actor Damson Idris, who is appearing in an upcoming film about Formula 1, wowed the crowd when assistants ripped off his white racing suit to reveal a red satin tuxedo underneath.
Diana Ross, meanwhile, stole the show with a feathered white ensemble featuring an enormous train that ran the length of the event’s entry walk.
