On the first Monday of May, the grand staircase of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York transforms into a stage welcoming the privileged guests of the Met Gala, the fashion world's most highly anticipated event. It is a collective performance that, year after year, sparks global conversations. Curated by Anna Wintour and aligned with the opening of the Costume Institute's annual exhibit, the Gala, officially known as the Costume Institute Benefit, brings abstract concepts to life by inviting guests to express and embody a theme through their outfits. What unfolds on that red carpet resonates far beyond the evening: it shapes future collections, forges new stylistic codes, reopens forgotten archives, and challenges the industry to look deeper, take risks and reflect. The 2025 theme, 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' is no exception, deeply rooted in a path that embraces consciousness and inclusivity. A tribute to Black dandyism and the role of style in shaping identity within the Afro-Atlantic diaspora, it elevates sartorial tradition as a tool for affirmation, an aesthetic rite that spans eras and geographies, giving rise to a style that is proud and self-aware.

What role will eyewear play on this occasion? The sartorial approach has a long-standing tradition in the sector, lending eyewear creations exceptional expressive potential. Their construction mirrors the codes of tailoring: obsessive attention to detail, refined proportions, noble materials and finishes that speak volumes. Their designs draw inspiration from silhouettes of bygone eras, and reinterpret them with a contemporary edge in sculpted geometries, softened corners, and seamless lines that trace the space between face and gaze. Colours embrace bold, deep palettes evoking personal style and cultural roots. Even the lenses become expressive surfaces: smoked, tinted, mirrored, or treated to capture the light like fine fabric. More than ever, material choice becomes a declaration. Ebony, horn, polished acetate, hand-finished bronzed metals, and lightweight alloys speak of artisanal heritage and a desire for distinction. They are noble objects, rich with implicit references to a culture of care that is the essence of the 'superfine' style.

Embodying this vision with remarkable precision is the London-based brand Cutler and Gross (in the opening picture), whose name has long been synonymous with bespoke eyewear rooted in tradition yet ever attuned to the present. Founded in 1969 in Knightsbridge by opticians Cutler and Gross as a discreet yet visionary bespoke service, the brand quickly became a favourite among artists, rock stars, writers and aristocrats. Their frames are handcrafted by master artisans in the brand's atelier nestled in the heart of the Dolomites, in Cadore. The new SS 2025 collection, Dualis, captures the enigmatic allure of the unknown. Inspired by the work of John le Carré and his character George Smiley, it pays homage to the London of the 60s and 70s, when it was a city steeped in secrecy and ambiguity living under the long shadow of the Cold War. Eight new oversized silhouettes play with the power of suggestion, while gradient lenses evoke a subtle dance between light and shadow, revelation and discretion.

No less evocative is the offering from Jacques Marie Mage, whose creations, produced in limited editions, marry traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. The latest limited-edition collection draws inspiration from the life and legacy of Glenn Gould, the legendary Canadian pianist and brilliant, unorthodox spirit. Crafted by hand in Japan, the two models pay homage to the iconic eyewear Gould so often wore, reinterpreted with sartorial precision and meticulous attention to detail. Heritage, bespoke precision and artisanal craftsmanship also come together in the latest project 'Scabal x Lunetier Ludovic.' Scabal, known for its fine fabrics and sartorial excellence and Lunetier Ludovic, celebrated for handcrafted, made-to-measure eyewear, have joined forces to create a limited-edition collection of sunglasses that distills the essence of English elegance and Belgian savoir-faire. Models are handmade from genuine horn, a material prized for its organic beauty, distinctive character and timeless appeal. The pieces combine practicality and refinement, they are accessories designed to endure, and to express. If fashion has served, across time and cultures, as a vehicle for asserting one's uniqueness and freedom, then eyewear today continues that tradition, becoming a symbol of presence - silent yet eloquent. It speaks of roots, of attitude, of conscious choices. It is tailoring for the gaze.