See the black fashion style that powers the dandyism, Met Gala – Boston Herald

Associated Press, by Beatrice Dupuy

NEW YORK (AP) – Fashion icons such as Dapper Dan, Janelle Monaet and the late Andre Leon Tully are known for their unique approach to dress styles.

The historic style movement kicks off on the biggest night at the Met Gala on Monday as part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Superfin: Tailoring Black Style.”

Inspired by Monica Miller’s book Fashion for Slave: Styling Black Dandism and Black Diasporic Identity, the exhibition focuses on black styles from the 18th century to the present, particularly dandyism, as a unified theme.

What is Dandism?

Used to slowly pursue the style of aristocracy and figures like Beau Blumel of Regency England, Dandism has been recontextualized over the years, embodying liberation and resistance through enthusiastic self-expression.

This evolution of the term began with the transatlantic slave trade. Miller, a guest curator of Met’s exhibition, writes how in the 18th century, a young, loose black servant in England was forced to wear gold, brass or silver collars with padlocks and fine colouring for slaves and servants.

“They wanted the enslaved to stand out as if they were a gorgeous item,” said Jonathan Square, assistant professor at the Parsons School of Design and one of the advisors at the Met exhibition.

Slaves have arrived in America with little or no belongings. Miller wrote that they cherished what they left, whether it beads or small precious objects.

“This applies to those who wear silk or turbans intentionally, and the challenges are explained in her book, as well as those who have more humbled submission, as well as those who have used clothing as a process of memory and distinction (and symbolic and sometimes actual escape) in their new environment.

Enslaved people were stripped of their identities and often added their talent to the best Sunday looks that suited them churches and holidays.

After liberation, Black Americans had the opportunity to regain their autonomy and carve out new lives for themselves, paving the way for the Harlem Renaissance.

Dandism enters a new era with the Harlem Renaissance

Black Americans fled the south for cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. From the 1920s to the 1930s, the Harlem area of ​​New York became an influential, fertile landscape of black cultural expression. From Langston Hughes and Zora Neil Hurston to the Duke of Ellington and Louis Armstrong, their prominent minds reshaping the fabrics of American culture and challenging prejudiced beliefs.

The Harlem Renaissance gave fashion a soul, and Brandis Daniel, founder of Harlem’s Fashion Law, said it is an agency that connects color designers with retailers and brand opportunities.

“It was this birthplace of this visual identity that we spoke to what we now call Black Excellence,” she said.

The Renaissance meant living boldly for Black Americans, dressing up, pushing past social spheres and making them visible. Adding a unique twist to mainstream looks, women wore fur and beaded dresses, while men experimented with tailored fabrics, pristine fedora hats, two-tone oxfords and swirling silhouettes.

“Many of us wear photos of our grandfather in suits, but that’s a kind of stance and attitude, and an assertion of existence,” says Black in Fashion: Co-author of 100 Years of Style, Influence and Culture.

Valerie Steele, director of the Institute of Fashion Technology Museum, was a pivotal figure in a time when he often appeared in three-piece suits, frock coats and top hats, and Web Du Bois understood the power of self-fashion. At the Paris Expo in 1900, DuBois took a photographic display focused on introducing the economic, social and cultural contributions of black Americans to combat stereotypes.

“That kind of self-fashion is a way to regain a sense of self-esteem that was being denied by society that actively said, ‘No, you don’t have it,'” Steele said.

Key, Permanent Appearance: Zoot Suit

One style born from the Harlem Renaissance, directly linked to Dandism, was the Zoot suit. The suit was defined by high-waisted draped pants with exaggerated shoulders and large lapels and an oversized jacket, and was destructive simply by taking up space. Owning a Zoot suit with excessive use of fabric was an act of protest, Square said, due to fabric distribution during World War II.

“It’s meant to be a provocation,” Square said. “But it’s also a form of protection that covers a part of your body, like saying, ‘You don’t have access to this.’ ”

This style was quickly adopted by Mexican and Filipino American men in Los Angeles. In 1943, military personnel and police officers attacked black, Mexican and Filipino men, labelled riots in a zoot suit. Zoot suits live today with Willy Chavarria’s gender fluid design.

Dandism transcends gender

Dandism was not limited to men. After World War I, women began to break down the gender norms of fashion. With her tuxedo and top hat, blues singer and entertainer Gladys Bentley represented the way Harlem Renaissance women blurred their gender lines and adopted dresses with a more masculine style.

Singer and actor Monáe, who joined this year’s Met Gala host committee, is not embarrassed to stand out on the red carpet with her tailored and playful looks. Monae’s distinctive style and prosperity personifies dandy style with oversized hats, whimsical tailed suits and ornate bow tie.

When Monáe and the rest of the starry sky arrive at the fascinating “Tailored for You” look, Monday is a night that reminds me of all the dandies I’ve previously styled.

“Black, black men are finally getting flowers to be true style icons,” said Ev Bravado, co-founder of Who Decend War. “It’s amazing to see the works of our ancestors on display.”

Initially published: April 30th, 2025 5:46pm EDT