The Met Fifth Avenue will close early at 5 pm on Friday, May 30 for an event.

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Exhibition

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style

The Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition presents a cultural and historical examination of Black style over three hundred years through the concept of dandyism. In the 18th-century Atlantic world, 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. Black dandyism sprung from the intersection of African and European style traditions.

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 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.

#SuperfineStyle

The exhibition is made possible by

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Major funding is provided by Instagram, the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation, Africa Fashion International, founded by Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, and The Perry Foundation.

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Additional support is provided by

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Featured Content

Accessibility

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To access a large-print version of the exhibition text, click here

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A group of four people walk through a gallery with a medieval tapestry in the background. Two group members are led by guide dogs—a white poodle and a black Labrador.

Picture This!—Superfine: Tailoring Black Style

June 6 6:00 PMThe Met Fifth Avenue

Exhibition Catalog

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style

This exploration of Black dandy fashion and its representation in art and literature highlights the vibrant, complicated legacy of a recognizable yet constantly shifting style, from its origins in Enlightenment Europe to the contemporary art and fashion worlds.

Image Credits
Tyler Mitchell, Untitled (Christian in Wales Bonner), 2025