The 2025 Met Gala is upon us. This year the theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”, in a nod to Black dandyism, and we can’t wait to see how our favourite celebs interpret this on the red carpet. The idea of Black dandyism is said to date back as far as 1700s Britain, when wealthy slave owners flaunted their wealth by dressing their slaves in expensive clothing. Thankfully, it means something different today. Over the past century Black men have been dressing elegantly as a form of resistance against social hierarchies, asserting agency and often to make an anti-colonial message. In short, it’s a way in which Black men use style to challenge perceptions of race, gender and class. As we are all glued to our Instagram feeds to see who wore what during the first Monday in May, here’s a look at some artworks that remind us of Black dandyism.
Portrait of Andries Stilte II by Kehinde Wiley
Kehinde Wiley is known for his portraits of Black men and women in poses from Old Master European paintings. His portraits are often standing in front of bright, vibrant patterned backgrounds and his sitters usually wear high-fashion streetwear pieces. In this portrait, the way the sitter is posing with his cane shows that he is oozing style, confidence and personality.
ALLEGORIA by Omar Victor Diop
Omar Victor Diop creates highly stylised photographic self-portraits that explore African history, identity and diaspora. In the ALLEGORIA series he explores the cultural politics of self-fashioning, the recasting of histories, and the aesthetic styling of Black diasporic/African identities. He also couples this with indigenous inscriptions and ecological reflections.
The Birth of Cool by Barkley L. Hendricks
The title of this painting says it all. Barkley L. Hendricks is famous for his life-size 1970s portraits of Black sitters in super-cool outfits. Hendricks made pioneering contributions to Black portraiture and conceptualism.
Self Portrait by Iké Udé
This piece is part of Iké Udé’s “Sartorial Anarchy” series, which explores the aesthetic, social, political and cultural implications of objects, clothing and design. Within these photographic self-portraits he is dressed and posed in items that conflate time and cultural references, creating a space for renewed dialogue.
Adebiyi by Rotimi Fani-Kayode
Rotimi Fani-Kayode’s work explores queerness, African heritage, and sensuality, using clothing and setting to emphasise elegance and power. The use of African masks and fauna and flora in this photo makes a statement about both heritage and style.
Text Lizzy Vartanian
