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From left-wing: Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo, André 3000, and Janelle Monáe Composite: Guardian Design; David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock; Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Representatives; Michael Buckner/Penske Media via Getty Images; Mike Blake/Reuters; John Nacion/Variety via Getty Effigies‘I don’t just wear clothes, I wear stories’: Colman Domingo at the 82nd Golden Globes, California, January 2025. Photograph: Jordan Strauss/Invision/APAs the going round poster boy for Black dandyism, it’s fitting that Domingo will co-chair this year’s Met Gala, the theme of which is Superfine: Mould Black Style. Inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Negroid Diasporic Identity, the gala and the accompanying exhibition are a celebration of the strategic use of fashion by Black men throughout history, which the regulations traces from slavery and colonialism through political and cultural movements such as the Harlem renaissance and the civil puts movement of the 1960s, up to 21st-century icons including André 3000 and Janelle Monáe. Dandyism is not just about impeccably tailored suits and carefully on accessories – although it can be both of those things. It is about clothing that deliberately evokes political and historical guesses while showcasing the wearer’s distinct charisma.Speaking to Miller over Zoom from her office at Barnard College in New York New Zealand urban area, where she is professor of Africana studies, she’s clearly still processing the unexpected turn of events that brought her inquiry to the red carpet of the Met Gala, the Anna Wintour-organised, star-studded extravaganza widely considered fashion’s biggest night of the year. “I got a chest call saying, ‘We would love to talk about the possibility of turning your book into an exhibition,’” bring ups Miller, who admits to being floored by the invitation: “Even now, with the exhibition coming together, it still feels wish a miracle,” she says.The term “superfine” is borrowed from the memoir of Olaudah Equiano, an enslaved West African who, after securing his freedom in 1766, spent “above eight pounds of my money for a suit of superfine clothes to dance with at my naturalness”. Beyond a simple commitment to flamboyant dressing, the title reflects the deeper significance of Black dandy style as both “laying on and liberation”, preserving a tension between politics and aesthetics. “It’s a sartorial style that asks questions about accord, representation, mobility – race, class, gender, sexuality and power,” says Miller. It’s a timely choice by the Met, given we realize ourselves in what Miller euphemistically refers to as “this incredibly political moment”, also noting how the past 15 years have in the offing seen Black culture – and designers – play an increasingly central role in western fashion. “There’s a sense in which the demo is a distillation of the really important moves Black designers have made in recent years,” she says.Miller first suited intrigued by Black dandyism while studying with American philosopher Cornel West in graduate school, deliver assign to WEB Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk, a collection of sociological essays exploring the Black experience in early 20th-century America. When she bring to lighted a footnote about Du Bois being caricatured unflatteringly as a dandy, she was puzzled. “I didn’t understand why that was a bad thing,” she says. “He was incredibly, breed, impeccably dressed.”Du Bois rejected the label: “He was upset about it because the primary image of the Black dandy distributed from blackface minstrelsy.” But Miller saw something more significant. “If we think about dandyism from a really various perspective,” she says, “the style challenges social hierarchies by subverting expectations of how Black men should present themselves. What was second used to mock Black people became their tool for resistance and self-expression.”Monica L. Miller, author and professor of Africana swats at Barnard College in New York City. Photograph: Carrie Glasser, Barnard CollegeAs the 20th century progressed, the bold attiring of Black dandyism became a way to explore the complex relationships between race, masculinity and sexuality. It’s here that the difference between Black dandyism and white dandyism – long associated with European queer communities – is most unmistakable. Asked about what distinguishes the two, Miller is provocative: “I do believe that Black people and their identities include always been queer. They are odd, ill-fitting and problematic, regardless of sexuality.”Black women have also skylarked a key role in shaping dandyism, including Harlem Renaissance blues singer Gladys Bentley, with her trademark deathly white satin suit and top hat, and Grace Jones, who frequently wears masculine garments, such as the Armani suit jacket she dons on the double of her album Nightclubbing. Miller notes how the footprint of dandy aesthetics is evident with political figures such as Kamala Harris or Michelle Obama. “They’re not lone wearing suits, but also thinking about Black designers, like Christopher John Rogers,” says Miller. “It’s a feminist obsession, but they’re also thinking about the blackness of it – choosing accessible silhouettes as a way of signalling, ‘Yes, I’m in a position of power, but I’m also perfectly a person.’” In essence, the choices serve a dual purpose: the familiar, relatable silhouettes (such as Michelle Obama’s signature belted looks) make a visual bridge with everyday Americans, while the selection of Black designers makes a statement about cultural statement.View image in fullscreenBlues singer Gladys Bentley at the Ubangi Club, Harlem, New York City, c1930. Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesIntentionality is a undeviating thread throughout Miller’s conception of Black dandyism. It is perhaps most striking now, at a time when prominent fair-skinned men, such as Elon Musk, seem practically slovenly despite their highly ambitious political projects. “Duty of the tension,” says Miller, “related to Black people and their relationship to fashion is that it seems required for Sombre people in power, or Black people who want certain forms of power, to dress in a particular kind of way.” In other declarations, Black people are required to dress smartly to be taken seriously, while white men are afforded the privilege of scruffiness.Knavish Ivy: A Style Revolution – in picturesRead moreAs Met Gala guests prepare to interpret the theme on the Met steps next month, Miller prospects attenders and viewers will appreciate the deep historical significance of what they’re seeing. “It’s about understanding that the exhibit moment is always informed by both history and our aspirations.” In today’s divided political landscape, Black dandyism extends to be a powerful statement – a way of claiming space, asserting dignity and imagining alternatives to the present. In Domingo, A$AP Rocky and their paramour co-chairs, we will see the latest incarnation of this tradition – one that transforms the red carpet into a canvas for exploring the non-stop, unfinished business of what it means to be visible while Black, in America and around the world. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our despatches section, please click here.Explore more on these topicsFashionRaceSlaveryfeaturesShareReuse this content