It was a real statement piece.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams put politics front and center Monday night in a tux emblazoned with the words "End Gun Violence" on the back. The look, which he sported for the "gilded glamour"-themed event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side, also featured the image of a gun inside the no symbol.
"We are wearing modern fashion and a beautiful dress that Tracey is wearing," Adams said on the red carpet, alongside his longtime partner Tracey Collins. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) logo could also be seen on the tuxedo's lapel.
The mayor said that his tuxedo was made and hand-painted by a local, Nigerian artist, adding that the suits and ties he wears on a daily basis are also made locally.
"Everything that I do, I want to stay local, and that's the expression we wore tonight," he said.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
This isn’t the first political statement that’s shown up on the the Met Gala red carpet—Adams' coat comes a year after Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez wore a dress that read “Tax the Rich” in red, all-caps scrawl.
“It's really about having a real conversation about fairness and equity in our system, and I think this conversation is particularly relevant as we debate the budget and reconciliation bill,” she said at the 2021 gala, held in September.