Lana Del Rey turned heads at the 2025 Met Gala with a thoughtful tribute to her husband, Jeremy Dufrene, despite attending the event without him.
On May 5, the 39-year-old singer arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele as her date. While Dufrene wasn’t by her side, Del Rey included a personal touch in her look: a pair of alligator-shaped hair clips, a playful nod to her husband, whom she married in Louisiana last September. Dufrene is known for his nickname, the “alligator tour guide.”
Del Rey wore the clips in her chic, curled updo. The realistic, miniature alligator designs completed her dramatic Valentino ensemble. Her gown featured a black bodice, a silky brown drop-waist skirt, and a dramatic feathered bow that trailed behind her on the blue carpet.
This year’s Met Gala spotlighted the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring 2025 exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” with a dress code of “Tailored for You.” The exhibit explores Black dandyism and fashion from the 18th century to the present. It draws inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.
The event was chaired by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour, with LeBron James serving as honorary chair. The host committee also featured stars like Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, Regina King, Spike Lee, Usher, Angel Reese, and Doechii.
Del Rey is no stranger to the Met Gala. In 2024, she embraced a fairy goddess look in a custom Alexander McQueen gown by Seán McGirr, complete with bronze-bullion hawthorn branches and soft waves in her honey brown hair. She posed with Kim Kardashian, noting their “sister corset shapes.”
Her first appearance at the Met Gala was in 2012, where she wore a strapless silver gown with a floor-length black cape. In 2018, she returned alongside Jared Leto in a bold Gucci look, featuring a white gown adorned with gold accents, a jeweled chest piece, and a striking blue feather headpiece.
More recently, Del Rey showed off another tribute to Dufrene. In February, she posted a photo on Instagram wearing custom jeans with her husband’s last name embroidered in red on the back pocket.
Lana’s look at the 2025 Met Gala blended fashion and sentiment, showing that even in a crowd of stars, her personal style remains as meaningful as ever.
