“This project is the first to comprehensively explore contemporary dandyism in black communities throughout the world, examining how men of African descent ‘defy stereotypes and monolithic understandings of masculinity’ through clothing and style."
— New York Times, 2016
The Dandy Lion Project
The Dandy Lion Project
About the Dandy Lion Project
Founded in 2010 by scholar, filmmaker and curator Shantrelle P. Lewis, what began as an exhibition in a pop-up gallery space in Harlem at Ngozi Odita’s SOCIETY H.A.E., has become the largest documentation of the global contemporary Black Dandyism movement in the world. A traveling exhibition and book, published by Aperture in 2017, The Dandy Lion Project has re(de)fined Black Masculinity, style and class for generations to come.
“While scholars have traced the roots of the black dandy to the West — specifically, Britain — Ms. Lewis noted that he originated in Africa. Throughout the continent, highly refined sartorial aesthetics and tailoring were the hallmark of African men’s fashion for centuries. Dandyism has remained an important part of African society, advanced by such movements as la Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes (the Society of Ambience Makers and People of Elegance), which originated in the French speaking Congo, as well as the Swenkas, the debonair working-class Zulu men of South Africa...”
— Maurice Berger, New York Times, 2016
Gift yourself or someone special with a signed copy of DANDY LION: THE BLACK DANDY and STREET STYLE.
Suits that pop with loud colors and dazzling patterns, complete with a nearly ubiquitous bowtie, define the style of the new “dandy.” Described as “high-styled rebels” by author Shantrelle P. Lewis, Black men with a penchant for color and refined fashion, both new and vintage, have gained popular attention in recent years, influencing mainstream fashion. But Black dandyism itself is not new; originating from the intersection of Africa’s long history of sartorial aesthetics and European fashion, then later from the personal styling of enslaved people in Victorian England, it has continued for generations in black cultures around the world. Now, set against the backdrop of hip-hop culture, this iteration of dandies is redefining what it means to be Black, masculine, and fashionable. Dandy Lion presents and celebrates individual dandy personalities, designers and tailors, movements and events that define contemporary dandyism. Throughout the book, self-expression is communicated through personal style, clothing, shoes, hats, and swagger. Lewis’s carefully curated selection of contemporary photographs surveys the movement across the globe in spectacular form, with all the vibrant patterns, electrifying colors, and fanciful poses of this brilliant style subculture.
Dandy Lion presents and celebrates individual dandy personalities, designers and tailors, movements and events that define contemporary dandyism. Lewis’s carefully curated selection of contemporary photographs surveys the movement across the globe in spectacular form, with all the vibrant patterns, electrifying colors, and fanciful poses of this brilliant style subculture. Gift yourself or gift your friend an autographed copy of this groundbreaking book!
