Keke Palmer sees fashion as a means to send a message. The actress and entrepreneur was inspired by activists from the past for her 2025 Met Gala look — a custom design courtesy of Vera Wang, paying homage to one of classic Hollywood’s trailblazers: Dorothy Dandridge.

“When you’re working on something like the Met Gala, it’s all about collaborating on how everybody is interpreting the theme and, for me, when I’m thinking about Black Dandyism, I’m thinking about fashion as a tool for activism, especially when it comes to Black Americans,” Palmer told WWD, following Monday’s event.

The “One of Them Days” star was intentional with her look, considering how fashion is used “as a way to present and get into doors and break those negative stereotypes. Those are the kinds of things that Dorothy Dandridge did; those are the kinds of things that Coretta Scott King did and the list goes on,” Palmer said.

Keke Palmer at the 2025 Met Gala on May 5, 2025 in New York City.

Palmer observed that while “you can brush up against” respectability politics as they relate to fashion and presentation, they can also be an instrument for transformation. “The idea of how you step into

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