Metropolitan Museum Exhibition to Highlight Black Menswear Fashion
**Exploring Dandyism in the Upcoming MET Costume Exhibition: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”**
In spring 2025, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will set the stage for an exciting and culturally important exhibition: *Superfine: Tailoring Black Style*. This exhibit, centered on the history of Black dandyism and menswear, promises to offer a deep dive into how style has intertwined with identity, culture, and power for Black individuals over the centuries. As the first Met costume exhibition focusing on menswear in over 20 years—since *Braveheart: Men in Skirts* in 2003—this showcase is expected to be a transformative and thought-provoking examination of fashion and its ethnocultural dimensions.
### What is Dandyism?
Dandyism, historically associated with men who exhibit “exaggerated attention to personal appearance,” is much more than just a fashion style or aesthetic. It speaks to larger dynamics, tackling themes such as self-representation, defiance, and empowerment against the backdrop of social challenges—especially for Black individuals. Over time, dandyism has evolved into a powerful expression of individuality within Black and Brown communities, serving as a symbol of resistance and empowerment.
The curators of *Superfine*, including guest curator and Barnard professor Monica L. Miller, have looked deep into the origins of this cultural phenomenon, tracing its complex history from the transatlantic slave trade period through the 20th century and into modern times. The exhibit will focus on influencing factors that span from forced stylistic impositions in Victorian England to the radical reclamation of fashion by Black communities in later centuries.
### A Look at the Garments Featured
Among the apparel to be showcased at *Superfine* are pivotal garments that elucidate different dimensions of Black dandyism throughout history. For example, the exhibition will spotlight livery from the 18th-century, oversized 1940s zoot suits popular among Black and Mexican-American communities, and modern interpretations of the dandy aesthetic by contemporary Black designers such as Grace Wales Bonner, Foday Dumbuya, and Pharrell Williams.
Pharrell Williams’ influence on modern menswear, particularly through his work with Louis Vuitton, will make an appearance. His Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection is one component of the exhibit that proves how Black dandyism endures today, interlacing historical inspiration with contemporary flair. Additionally, pieces from Dumbuya’s “Maya Angelou Passport” collection and Bonner’s “Aime” line highlight the ways modern Black designers continue to redefine and style dandyism.
### Historical Roots and Cultural Reclamation
The show will do more than just present fashionable garments; it aims to explore the broader historical and cultural contexts that have shaped Black dandyism.
1. **Victorian Era and Enslavement**: The exhibition traces the origins of Black dandyism back to the time of the transatlantic slave trade, when enslaved Black men in Victorian England were outfitted in dandified attire as a reflection of their enslavers’ wealth. Despite its initial forced nature, Black men adopted and redefined these styles over time, transforming them into symbols of personal identity and empowerment.
2. **Zoot Suits and Resistance**: Another important chapter in Black dandyism’s history is the zoot suit era of the 1940s—a time when Black, Mexican-American, and marginalized Latino communities took fashion as a tool of resistance. The oversized silhouette with padded shoulders, wide lapels, and high-waisted trousers became a delinquency “badge” in mid-20th-century patrician America, reflecting the wearers’ defiance of racial and social norms. The zoot suit gained further attention after the infamous Zoot Suit Riots of 1943, thus becoming a potent symbol of resistance for marginalized communities.
### A Multi-Faceted Exhibition Experience
This exhibition at the Met will be much more than a visual journey through historical and contemporary garments. The organizers plan to supplement the apparel with a variety of artistic media—including sketches, photographs, prints, decorative pieces, paintings, film shorts, and other ephemera—that will help contextualize the Black dandyism movement. Discussions of socio-political identity and aesthetics are expected to play key roles in the exhibition’s narrative.
In addition to the garments, the *Superfine* exhibit will feature conceptual art and collaborations with several cutting-edge contemporary artists. Beacon artist Torkwase Dyson will present a conceptual design, while Tanda Francis from Brooklyn will contribute sculpted mannequin heads. Photographer and filmmaker Tyler Mitchell, known for his compelling visual storytelling, will also provide new work to complement the historical pieces on display.
### Moving Beyond Fashion: Cultural Commentary and Power Dynamics
At its core, *Superfine* seeks to uncover how fashion for Black individuals has, historically, existed not just as a tool for personal expression but as a battleground for