As rain poured down on Manhattan, GQ’s Will Welch and musician André 3000 hosted a dazzling Met Gala after-party. The revelry unfolded at Café Zaffri inside The Twenty Two, an elegant new members-only club. A constellation of stars—actors, singers, designers, models, painters, and poets—gathered to sip cocktails, swap stories, and dance late into the night.
Since joining GQ in 2007 and becoming editor-in-chief in 2018, Welch has transformed the magazine and rendered the brand an ever stronger force in shaping culture. The party—both in its electric atmosphere and shimmering guest list—embodied GQ’s unique influence across style, sports, and music.
Alongside Welch and André 3000, a trio of co-hosts provided the evening with even more glamour: Grace Wales Bonner, Law Roach, and Anok Yai. Over the past decade, Wales Bonner has earned some of fashion’s most coveted accolades, including the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2019. For the after-party, she swapped her striking black tuxedo from earlier in the night for a pale, embroidered ensemble.
Roach, perhaps the most famous celebrity stylist alive, was instantly recognizable, even with his signature long hair replaced with a blond coif. Among many things (author, creative director, television personality), Roach is perhaps best known for being a sartorial fairy godmother to Zendaya, a relationship they made literal in 2019 with their outfits for 2019’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” gala. His Cinderella was in attendance, too: Zendaya shimmered in a dramatic confection of red feathers and silk. The actress posed alongside Imaan Hammam, who glowed in emeralds and pearls.
Yai’s ascent into stardom, after being discovered from a viral shot of her at Howard University’s homecoming week in 2017, is the stuff of industry legend. In the years since, she has become a Met Gala darling with such memorable looks as last year’s bodysuit encrusted with 98,000 Swarovski gems or the Prabal Gurung gold fantasy in 2023. This year, she did not disappoint in her old Hollywood Thom Browne gown, already considered one of the best of the night.
Hailey Bieber, ever radiant, swapped her sharp black blazer for a gold velvet corset. The model and skincare mogul laughed with chanteuse Justine Skye, fierce in a leopard-print gown. Among the few who didn’t change after the gala, Lupita Nyong’o stunned in the same powder-blue Chanel suit she wore on the Met steps—a shade reminiscent of her iconic Prada gown she wore when she took home the Academy Award 11 years ago. Author Zadie Smith, striking in a palm-printed cape, chatted with actor Daniel Kaluuya, whose understated black leather jacket set him apart in the flamboyant room.
Naturally, given the theme, every aspect of the party honored Black creativity and innovation. Music, courtesy of Rich Medina and Acyde, filled the room with energy. A portrait studio with Tyrell Hampton provided guests images worthy of a campaign or magazine to remember the night by. Formerly of the Michelin-starred Brooklyn hotspot Clover Hill and at the Financial District’s famed Saga, Chef Charlie Mitchell created delicious fare, including lobster rolls and sliders. The crowd—many of whom, let’s face it, were unlikely to have indulged earlier in the day—gratefully gobbled up the delicacies. As the celebration raged on into the early hours, one thing was clear: there is no party like a GQ party.
