Superfine: Tailoring Black Style
Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art explores the importance of style to the formation of Black identities.
In the 18th-century a new culture of consumption, fueled by the slave trade, colonialism, and imperialism, enabled access to clothing and goods that indicated wealth, distinction, and taste.
This year’s Met Gala, held at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, will celebrate the opening of the Met’s Costume Institute exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
Inspired by the flamboyant fashion journalist André Leon Talley, the exhibit examines the history of dandyism as projected by Black men dating back nearly 300 years, with objects ranging from clothes worn by Fredrick Douglass and Prince, to designs by Pharrell Williams.
André Leon Talley was the first African American male creative director and later Editor-at-Large at Vogue. His love for opulence, theatricality, and historical references brought a richness to fashion journalism and made the world take notice of the power of Black elegance. Talley died in 2022.
“Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” explores the importance of style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora, particularly in the United States and Europe. Through a presentation of garments and accessories, paintings, photographs, decorative arts, and more, from the 18th century to today, the exhibition interprets the concept of dandyism as both an aesthetic and a strategy that allowed for new social and political possibilities.
“Superfine” is organized into 12 sections, each representing a characteristic that defines the style, such as Presence, Distinction, Disguise, Freedom, Champion, Respectability, Heritage, Beauty, and Cosmopolitanism. Together, these characteristics demonstrate how one’s self-presentation is a mode of distinction and resistance—within a society impacted by race, gender, class, and sexuality.
CBS correspondent Michelle Miller takes a tour of the exhibit.
The exhibition will be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York from May 10 through October 26, 2025.
What is a Black Dandy?
According to the Met, the term “dandy” dates back to the 18th century and refers to a style that indicates wealth, taste and the intersection of African and European style traditions. It embraces theatricality, risk-taking, and exuberant freedom of expression.
Inspired by curator Monica Miller’s 2009 book, “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” the Met’s exhibition presents a cultural and historical examination of the Black dandy, from the figure’s emergence in Enlightenment Europe during the 18th century to today’s incarnations in cities around the world.
The enduring legacy of tailoring and dandyism.
The Met Gala, which was held on May 5, 2025, is a benefit for the Costume Institute, providing funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, operations, and capital improvements.
