Kamala Harris Is the Surprise Guest at the Met Gala

That’s one way to make a (re-)entrance.

Just days after delivering her first major speech since conceding the 2024 election, in which she condemned the actions of President Trump and warned of a constitutional crisis, former Vice President Kamala Harris was the surprise guest at the Met Gala.

Though a tip sheet of all of the attendees had been distributed beforehand, her name had not been on it, and she sneaked into the gala without posing on the red carpet, according to a spokeswoman.

However, even without the photo ops, the message sent by her asymmetric black silk gown with a choker neckline and one flowing white sleeve was pretty clear: “I’m back. Ish.”

Unlike the Chloé pantsuits that Ms. Harris seemed to have adopted as a semi-uniform by the end of her presidential run, the dress — an Off-White look designed by Ib Kamara, who took on the brand after the untimely death of founder Virgil Abloh — was dramatic. It told the story of two sides. It was a return to the more inclusive dressing strategy Ms. Harris demonstrated during the 2021 inauguration events, when she wore work by all Black designers. And it will probably be controversial.

“To me, the true core of dandyism is rooted in confidence and strength,” Mr. 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.”

Still, political figures are relative rarities at the Met Gala, which tends to over-index on celebrities of all kinds — from Hollywood, in sports, from the art world — and the fashion brands that love them.