Latest news with #SlavestoFashion:BlackDandyismandtheStylingofBlackDiasporicIdentity
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Met Gala 2025: A$AP Rocky, Zendaya, and Cardi B Hit the Red Carpet
The 2025 Met Gala is in full swing, with celebrities from every discipline descending on the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a night of high fashion. This year, attendees will celebrate the theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' which was inspired by the 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity by Monica Miller, who curated the accompanying Costume Institute exhibit. The 2025 edition has already raised the most money in its 77-year history, bringing in $31 million to the museum. '[It's] an environment of celebration, of support, and of meaning,' Max Hollein, the director and chief executive of the Met, told The New York Times. More from Rolling Stone Sultry Savings: Skims' Bi-Annual Sale Is Offering Deals on Pop Icon Charli XCX And Sabrina Carpenter-Approved Basics Billie Eilish Says Met Gala Images of Her Are Fake: 'That's AI' No, Megan Thee Stallion Was Not Banned From the Met Gala for Using Her Phone This year's event is co-hosted by Anna Wintour, alongside actor Colman Domingo, musicians A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams, and F1 driver Lewis Hamilton. Basketball icon LeBron James serves as the charity event's honorary chair. Tap through our gallery to see some of the standout looks from this year's red carpet. Best of Rolling Stone Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best The United States of Weed Gaming Levels Up
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Breaking down 2025 Met Gala
ON May 5, the finest of the entertainment industry rocked up in their dandiest fits to wow the blue carpet at the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Gala on Fifth Avenue, New York City. Often ridiculed for its superficiality, the charity event is not short of criticism and scrutiny, as last year's gala received backlash for being tone-deaf to the political climate at the time (the Gaza genocide). This year, the winds have shifted. While past galas often drew criticism, the 2025 event was met with praise. Some may see this as an effort by industry leaders to reshape the image of Hollywood and the elite, especially as public awareness of social disparities grows. That said, the 2025 Met was applauded for inclusivity and artistic ambition – and dare we say, this year's gala sits at the same table as the 2018 Met, which was considered among the best. This year's theme may have been rooted in performative activism, but its intention makes a poignant political statement as it gives a hypothetical seat at the very table where this community was once (read: still are) oppressed. Themed Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, the Met took direct inspiration from Monica L. Miller's 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity and here is why it is a big deal. Also read: Oscars highlights Dandyism With roots in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the term 'dandyism' began in the 18th century when Black servants in England were forced to wear gold, brass or silver collars with padlocks and fine livery, which reflected their 'owners' wealth. However, much like any other fashion trend, the term was recontextualised – having a rebirth, ironically, in the land of freedom, the United States of America. Today, 'dandyism' connotes individuality and defiance, all thanks to a rebellious political movement in the 1920s to 1930s during the Harlem Renaissance – when Black people migrated to Harlem in New York City seeking better economic opportunities while fleeing racial violence. Dubbed the Black cultural mecca, it became nesting ground for African-American culture. And where Black people were oppressed to silence, there they thrived in bold art, music, literature and fashion, reshaping the very fabric of American culture while challenging prejudiced beliefs. Bright colours, zoot suits, florals and stripes – think fitted but with soul. Dandyism saw a departure from its European 'gentleman' tux origins as it took notes from traditional African motifs and prints. From artistes such as Louis Armstrong to human rights activist Malcolm X, appearing dandy in a tailored suit was a weighty statement of identity and defiance against repression. Also read: Grammy Awards highlights 2025 Met For a fashion trend that became an expression of freedom and individuality, its flowers are long overdue. The line-up of mostly Black co-chairs, comprising Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$ap Rocky, actor Colman Domingo and artiste Pharrell Williams, for the first time ever is exactly why this year's Met was a big deal. For decades, the entertainment and art industries have benefitted from Black culture but have refused to give them their credit. Being typecasted as loud and boorish for simply expressing themselves, the Met's decision to celebrate their individualism and the community's culture is a step in the right direction. The 2025 Superfine: Tailoring Black Style Met Gala was not just a celebration of black tailoring excellence but also the very community that shaped culture, arts, music and most importantly, individualism. Be it superficial or performative, one thing for sure is this will go down in history as a political statement that was made with much finesse and style. Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan brings the aura in an all-black Sabyasachi, elevated by custom jewellery also by Sabyasachi.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Dandy statement
ON May 5, the finest of the entertainment industry rocked up in their dandiest fits to wow the blue carpet at the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Gala on Fifth Avenue, New York City. Often ridiculed for its superficiality, the charity event is not short of criticism and scrutiny, as last year's gala received backlash for being tone-deaf to the political climate at the time (the Gaza genocide). This year, the winds have shifted. While past galas often drew criticism, the 2025 event was met with praise. Some may see this as an effort by industry leaders to reshape the image of Hollywood and the elite, especially as public awareness of social disparities grows. That said, the 2025 Met was applauded for inclusivity and artistic ambition – and dare we say, this year's gala sits at the same table as the 2018 Met, which was considered among the best. This year's theme may have been rooted in performative activism, but its intention makes a poignant political statement as it gives a hypothetical seat at the very table where this community was once (read: still are) oppressed. Themed Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, the Met took direct inspiration from Monica L. Miller's 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity and here is why it is a big deal. Dandyism With roots in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the term 'dandyism' began in the 18th century when Black servants in England were forced to wear gold, brass or silver collars with padlocks and fine livery, which reflected their 'owners' wealth. However, much like any other fashion trend, the term was recontextualised – having a rebirth, ironically, in the land of freedom, the United States of America. Today, 'dandyism' connotes individuality and defiance, all thanks to a rebellious political movement in the 1920s to 1930s during the Harlem Renaissance – when Black people migrated to Harlem in New York City seeking better economic opportunities while fleeing racial violence. Dubbed the Black cultural mecca, it became nesting ground for African-American culture. And where Black people were oppressed to silence, there they thrived in bold art, music, literature and fashion, reshaping the very fabric of American culture while challenging prejudiced beliefs. Bright colours, zoot suits, florals and stripes – think fitted but with soul. Dandyism saw a departure from its European 'gentleman' tux origins as it took notes from traditional African motifs and prints. From artistes such as Louis Armstrong to human rights activist Malcolm X, appearing dandy in a tailored suit was a weighty statement of identity and defiance against repression. 2025 Met For a fashion trend that became an expression of freedom and individuality, its flowers are long overdue. The line-up of mostly Black co-chairs, comprising Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$ap Rocky, actor Colman Domingo and artiste Pharrell Williams, for the first time ever is exactly why this year's Met was a big deal. For decades, the entertainment and art industries have benefitted from Black culture but have refused to give them their credit. Being typecasted as loud and boorish for simply expressing themselves, the Met's decision to celebrate their individualism and the community's culture is a step in the right direction. The 2025 Superfine: Tailoring Black Style Met Gala was not just a celebration of black tailoring excellence but also the very community that shaped culture, arts, music and most importantly, individualism. Be it superficial or performative, one thing for sure is this will go down in history as a political statement that was made with much finesse and style.
Gulf Today
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Met Gala exhibit ‘Superfine' gives voice to emerging Black designers
When the email came from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jacques Agbobly at first didn't quite believe it. The Brooklyn-based fashion designer had only been in the business for five years. Now, one of the world's top museums was asking for two of his designs to be shown in 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' the exhibit launched by the starry Met Gala. 'I was just floored with excitement,' Agbobly said in an interview. 'I had to check to make sure it was from an official email. And then the excitement came, and I was like ... am I allowed to say anything to anyone about it?' Agbobly grew up in Togo, watching seamstresses and tailors create beautiful garments in part of the family home that they rented out. Studying fashion later in New York, the aspiring designer watched the Met Gala carpet from afar and dreamed of one day somehow being part of it. 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' is the first Costume Institute exhibit to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first in more than 20 years devoted to menswear. Unlike past shows that highlighted the work of very famous designers like Karl Lagerfeld or Charles James, this exhibit includes a number of up-and-coming designers like Agbobly. 'The range is phenomenal,' says guest curator Monica L. Miller, a Barnard College professor whose book, 'Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,' is a foundation for the show. 'It's super exciting to showcase the designs of these younger and emerging designers,' says Miller, who took The Associated Press through the show over the weekend before its unveiling at Monday's Met Gala, 'and to see the way they've been thinking about Black representation across time and across geography.' Artwork is displayed. Reuters Miller also spoke about the exhibit at a press preview on Monday morning, at which the Met's CEO, Max Hollein, announced the gala had raised a record $31 million — the first time the fundraiser for the museum's Costume Institute has crossed the $30 million mark and eclipsing last year's haul of more than $26 million. Also appearing was actor and gala co-chair Colman Domingo, who spoke with emotion about the family members — a stepfather, a father, a brother — who introduced him to style. Resplendent in a purple suit by designer Ozwald Boateng, he shared a favourite quote from director and playwright George C. Wolfe: 'God created Black people, and Black people created style.' The exhibit covers Black style over several centuries, but the unifying theme is dandyism, and how designers have expressed that ethos through history. For Agbobly, dandyism is 'about taking space. As a Black designer, as a queer person, a lot of it is rooted in people telling us who we should be or how we should act ... dandyism really goes against that. It's about showing up and looking your best self and taking up space and announcing that you're here.' Pieces are seen during a press preview of exhibition 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Reuters The exhibit, which opens to the public on May 10, begins with its own definition: someone who 'studies above everything else to dress elegantly and fashionably.' Miller has organized it into 12 conceptual sections: Ownership, presence, distinction, disguise, freedom, champion, respectability, jook, heritage, beauty, cool and cosmopolitanism. The 'ownership' section begins with two livery coats worn by enslaved people. One of them, from Maryland, looks lavish and elaborate, in purple velvet trimmed with gold metallic threading. The garments were intended to show the wealth of their owners. In other words, Miller says, the enslaved themselves were items of conspicuous consumption. The other is a livery coat of tan broadcloth, likely manufactured by Brooks Brothers and worn by an enslaved child or adolescent boy in Louisiana just before the Civil War. Elsewhere, there's a contemporary, glittering ensemble by British designer Grace Wales Bonner, made of crushed silk velvet and embroidered with crystals and the cowrie shells historically used as currency in Africa. There's also a so-called 'dollar bill suit' by the label — the jacket sporting a laminated one-dollar bill stitched to the breast pocket, meant to suggest the absence of wealth. The 'disguise' section includes a collection of 19th-century newspaper ads announcing rewards for catching runaway enslaved people. A view of the exhibit. AFP The ads, Miller notes, would often describe someone who was 'particularly fond of dress' — or note that the person had taken large wardrobes. The reason was twofold: The fancy clothes made it possible for an enslaved person to cloak their identity. But also, when they finally made it to freedom, they could sell the clothing to help fund their new lives, Miller says. 'So dressing above one's station sometimes was a matter of life and death,' the curator says, 'and also enabled people to transition from being enslaved to being liberated.' The contemporary part of this section includes striking embroidered jackets by the label Off-White that purposely play with gender roles — like displaying an ostensibly 'male' jacket on a female mannequin. Stopping by a set of portraits from the early 19th century, as abolitionism was happening in the North, Miller explains that the subjects are Black men who were successful, well off enough to commission or sit for portraits, and dressed 'in the finest fashions of the day.' Like William Whipper, an abolitionist and wealthy lumber merchant who also founded a literary society. They represent the beginnings of a Black middle and upper middle class in America, Miller says. But she points out a group of racist caricatures in a case right across from the portraits. One of Miller's favourite items in the heritage section is Agbobly's bright-coloured ensemble based on the hues of bags that West African migrants used to transport their belongings. Also displayed is Agbobly's denim suit embellished with crystals and beads. It's a tribute not only to the hairbraiding salons where the designer spent time as a child, but also the earrings his grandmother or aunts would wear when they went to church. Associated Press
Black America Web
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
We Can Thank Dr. Monica L. Miller For 2025's Met Gala Theme
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Mike Coppola/MG25 / Getty When Dr. Monica L. Miller completed her thesis on Black Dandyism as a graduate student at Harvard, it set forth a chain of events that would go on to influence fashion on a grand scale. Thanks to Dr. Miller, we witnessed the Blackest Met Gala yet. The research for her thesis evolved into two books: Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity (2009) and the upcoming Superfine: Tailoring Black Style (2025), which became the blueprint for this year's Met Gala. The biggest fashion event of the year was themed 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' and raised $31 million for the Costume Institute. And even more important, put Black dandyism on display for the world to see. Dr. Miller's passion for learning and teaching is admirable. Currently, she is the Professor of Africana Studies and Chair of the Africana Studies Department. Her educational career is an example of how fashion, arts, entertainment, and education can intersect. As the guest curator for this year's Met Gala, she was instrumental in contextualizing the theme while carrying the torch for authors, educators, and fashion history enthusiasts. She continues to encourage other students to follow in her footsteps. She told host Lala Anthony during a Vogue livestream. 'I've never had such a big classroom,' referring to the growing interest in studies. She continues to spread her knowledge of Black history, educating everyone she encounters, from the students in her class to Vogue host La La Anthony. 'Thank you for educating me,' the actress told Dr. Miller during the same stream. Learning From Dr. Monica L. Miller Source: Arturo Holmes/MG25 / Getty The Met Gala is about more than dressing up, it helps fund the Costume Institute, which then helps provide educational resources for brilliant minds like Dr. Miller. Education can be a vehicle to achieving greatness. Dr. Miller's work spotlighted Black Dandyism during a time when civil liberties are being violated and an administration hell bent on smothering the cultural identity. Art imitates life, and like the Black Dandies using fashion to reclaim their identities, we're standing strong as a collective. A teenage fan of The White Lotus whose never heard of Dapper Dan will understand how he expanded the idea of luxury at his Harlem atelier thanks to this exhibition. A privileged person may discover a Black designer like Brandon Blackwood, Chuks Collins, or Hanifa because she one day turned a brush with a cliff note into an indelible body of work. As media literacy is at an all-time low and pathways to higher learning are under attack, we should remember people like Dr. Monica L. Miller, who quietly inspire us to think harder and reach higher. DON'T MISS: Don't Erase Blackness At The Met Gala Because It Didn't Show Up How You Thought It Should Law Roach's Most Memorable Met Gala Moments SEE ALSO We Can Thank Dr. Monica L. Miller For 2025's Met Gala Theme was originally published on
