Superfine: Tailoring Black Style

A cultural and historical examination of Black dandyism, tracing the figure from 18th-century depictions to modern-day representations. The exhibition explores the importance of sartorial style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora through historical garments and accessories, contemporary garments by designers, as well as drawings, prints, decorative arts, ephemera, paintings, photographs, and film excerpts. Organized into 12 sections representing characteristics that define the style, such as Champion, Respectability, Heritage, Beauty, and Cosmopolitanism, the exhibition demonstrates how one's self-presentation is a mode of distinction and resistance within a society impacted by race, gender, class, and sexuality.