Superfine

This exploration of Black dandy fashion and its representation in art and literature highlights the vibrant, complicated legacy of a recognisable yet constantly shifting style, from its origins in Enlightenment Europe to the contemporary art and fashion worlds. ‘Superfine’ traces the complex and vibrant legacy of menswear across three centuries of Black culture – from today’s hip-hop aesthetic and popular street trends, through its use during the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement as a symbol of creative and political agency, to its surprising origins as an imposed uniform for servants and enslaved people. Organised by key characteristics of dandyism that resonate across time, including presence, distinction, disguise, and respectability, this fresh interpretation of a centuries-old aesthetic draws on prominent Black voices in fashion, literature, and art.