Exclusive: Getting Ready With Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie For The 2025 Met Gala

This year's Met Gala theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," was an unbridled celebration of Black joy and a tribute to Black dandy style. Inspired by curator Monica Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, the night saw celebrities walk the Met blue carpet in pinstripes, perfectly-tailored suiting, and plenty of headwear. But before the frenzy of the Met Gala storm, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shared some intimate moments from her hotel room as she got ready for her Met debut.

This year, Adichie was not only attending the Met Gala, but also on the hosting committee, alongside Doechii, Andre 3000 and more. "It’s an absolute honor, especially as this year’s theme celebrates Black style," she tells Coveteur. Adichie is no stranger to fashion: her novella was the inspiration for the much-lauded "We Should All Be Feminists" shirts models wore down the runway at Dior in 2017, and her sartorial choices, along with her sharp writing, inspire many to this day.

For her Met Gala dress, Adichie chose a cherry-red gown from designer Prabal Gurung. "It’s exquisite and testament to Prabal Gurung’s talent," she says. Featuring a fitted bodice and dramatic feather embellishments around the neckline and waist, the dress was a show-stopping moment that was perfectly complemented by her sculptural updo and matte red lip. Ahead, the author of Dream Count shares an exclusive photo diary of her getting-ready process with Coveteur—from hotel room to sprinter van.

11:00 a.m.: Morning sweets at The Plaza.

Prep essentials: my book, Dream Count, and a Met Gala x The Plaza Robe.

3:30 p.m.: A mid-glam check-in.

4:00 p.m.: The dress, shoes, and clutch arrive.

4:10 p.m.: First look at the final dress.

4:15 p.m.: The shoes needed to be put on first, before the dress!

Dress fitting by members of the Prabal Gurung Atelier team.

4:45 p.m.: The jewelry arrives.

5:00 p.m.: First look of complete outfit with Prabal Gurung

6:15 p.m.: Group photos at The Plaza.

6:30 p.m.: Leaving the Plaza for the sprinter van!