Superfine - The STANDARD has been re-Set - Bravo, Bravo
In some very present and distant world, Madame Monica Miller must be a kindred godmother of my sartorial and intellectual history. Thanks to Robin Givhan—an admired writer of mine for the Washington Post—her latest article granted a behind-the-scenes look at the new exhibit collection Superfine. Miller's vision originated with two figures I've loved and followed since I was 17, linking them to the career I've always pursued across country and coast to coast: fashion. I pause here to reflect on this profound connection.
When men of the diaspora form the continent serve as central inspiration, instead of being feared, they multi-handedly brought out the A-game in every attendee—as I observed last night. In a place as diverse as New York City, the world came to a standstill of scrolling, swiping, and watching in a frenzy as looks ascended the blue carpet to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Kudos to the staff, the umbrella holders, the elaborate attendants to glamorous trains and tails, and to the Getty Images camera operators calling out poses from behind their zoomed lenses. Though the narrative's Eurocentricity of Dandyism was formidable to the exhibits thesis, it was broadly overshadowed by the true taste, style, and elegance of every single attendee, the energy was palpable as everyone attempted to hit their mark and genuinely absorb the moment. All interpretations were tastefully executed on a night that, though some labels were noted, wasn't fully about commerce—it was about statements and a moment returned to the standard-bearers: Black Men.
As quoted in the Washington Post, Miller found her budding inspiration in a class with Dr. Cornel West during her studies at Harvard University. His works were required reading for me. In his Harvard class during a lecture focused on W.E.B. Du Bois (more required reading) and his disdain for being referenced as a "Dandy," West highlighted a powerful contrast. For the author of "The Souls of Black Folk," being compared to the minstrel blackface interpretation of a Dandy was an insult and a slap in the face to what I will call his well-dressed demeanor. This experience at Harvard led Miller on a thoughtful journey to write her award-winning book "Slaves to Fashion."
Borrowing from a father of American intellectual thought, last night it was delightful to see "The Veil" lifted, revealing that Black men are the truest stalwarts of style blending their double consciousness into one; respected.
Below is a collection of looks that inspired me, that I found interesting, or that I simply loved. I look forward to seeing how this two-year work of Anna Wintour and her trusted board of advisors hardens itself in the cement of culture and history. And yet I would be remiss not include a quote from the most photographed man of the 19th century, that reveals the desired station of all men, dandied-up or well-dressed that echoes today and was on full display last night:
“True enough, we think a man is wanting in the upper story, who invites attention to his fine clothes; but a man is wanting both in the upper and lower story, when he pays no attention to his dress. The respectability and dignity of colored Americans must be upheld.” - Frederick Douglas
