Friday, September 27, 2013

THE DANDY MAN | THE ART OF STYLE

Have you seen him, a man impeccably dressed, oozing charm and gentry? This man is young, handsome, well mannered and black. They call him a Dandy Lion and he's changing the world's perception of young black men across the globe.

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"A Dandy Lion is a contemporary man of SWAG who oozes creativity and makes well thought-out decisions in expressing his individuality. A performance and embodiment of sophistication, dandies are gentlemen of exceptional manners who consciously postulate what it means to be Black, male, masculine and full of style not simply as performance but an embracement of a particular lifestyle." -Shantrelle P. Lewis Founder & Curator, The Dandy Lion Project

Dandy Lion Project

We've noticed a change taking place in young black men's fashion choices. Wing-tip spades, suspenders, tailored suits, silk neck ties, beautifully printed scarves or peeking handkerchiefs have taken the urban fashion scene by storm. We saw a glimmer of this newly emerging trend in the 2008 launch of Andre3000's fashion line, Benjamin Bixby.

"Juxtaposed against an urban backdrop where the clothing of choice for many Black men consists of a of sagging pants, exposed boxers, jerseys and white tees – the “hip hop” generation has produced another phenomenon of style – the New Age Black dandy. Noticeably different from his historical minstrel or Harlem Renaissance “cult of respectability prototype,” the 21st Century Dandy Lion is more masculine than metro-sexual and certainly more an expression of the African aesthetic and mode of cosmopolitan swagger than an imitation of European high-brow society." - Shantrelle P. Lewis Founder & Curator, The Dandy Lion Project

Mangafu' (2010) by Caroline Kaminju.

Images by Jamala Johns of three “dandy” gentlemen,
from top to bottom row, Jamiyl, Wellington and Alexander
(all works digital photography and mixed media).
Sourced: Artsobserver.com