Tyla Masters the Met Gala Theme Early in a Cinched Tolu Coker Minidress and Statement Hat

Tyla is poised to attend her second Met Gala tonight, but she already mastered the event’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” theme a day early. The singer attended a pre-Met Gala event in New York City yesterday, wearing a print Tolu Coker minidress with a dramatic cinched waist and matching hat. Coker is a British-Nigerian designer, and the look is from the house’s fall/winter 2025 collection. Law Roach styled Tyla’s ensemble.

Roach told ELLE ahead of the Met Gala that he expects to see “amazing” tailoring on the event’s red carpet. “I want to see different takes on tailoring,” he said. “Because tailoring doesn’t necessarily have to mean a suit. There’s so many other ways that it can be expressed....When I think of a tailor, I always also think of a beautiful wedding gown.”

He also pointed out that “there’s a female counterpart to the dandy—the quaintrelle—I think of someone like Cardi B, Mae West, and Jayne Mansfield, and those women with those bodies. Everything’s perfectly tailored. The waist is perfectly tiny.” Tyla’s look reflects that quaintrelle aesthetic he described.

Last month, Tyla spoke to us about how fashion shapes her performances as a musician. “In the beginning, whatever I liked I would put on, and I would customize anything for myself and for my body just to make something I like,” she said. “Then, I started getting into fashion for real and learning more about it beyond just vibing. It was probably when I got invited to my first fashion week, I feel like that opened my eyes more into the world of fashion and now I’m obsessed.”

She also reflected on her Met Gala debut last year, when she wore a Balmain gown molded to her body and topped many best dressed lists. She didn’t expect to be called a living art piece by commentators. “I did not know that was going to happen. Like, none of it,” she said. “Even getting carried up the stairs and cutting the dress, nothing was planned. It all made that experience more special to me. I didn’t even know the [online] reaction was happening because when I was inside, we were just enjoying the moment.”