Bed-Stuy Buzzing! The Met Drops Sneak Peek of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” in a Powerful Brooklyn Homecoming!
The fashion air in Brooklyn just got a whole lot more stylish and significant! Last night, in a seriously exciting prelude to the 2025 Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art brought the heat – and the insight – straight to the heart of Bed-Stuy. The iconic institution hosted an intimate and illuminating panel discussion at the legendary Billie Holiday Theatre, offering a tantalizing glimpse into their upcoming exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” Trust us, fashion lovers, this is going to be major.
The evening was a vibrant celebration of Black style and creative excellence, perfectly situated in Bed-Stuy, a neighborhood renowned for its own rich tapestry of fashion and culture. Guests, embodying Brooklyn’s undeniable flair, were first treated to the theatre’s current exhibition, the powerful “We Love You, Black Woman,” setting the perfect tone for a night dedicated to celebrating Black artistry.
The energy kicked off with warm and enthusiastic remarks from none other than Max Hollein, the Met’s director and CEO. His heartfelt introduction paved the way for the brilliant Monica L. Miller, the renowned cultural scholar whose groundbreaking book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, serves as a cornerstone of the exhibition’s inspiration. Miller herself is the guest curator for “Superfine,” which is set to open its doors on May 10th – mark your calendars!
Hollein’s words underscored the Met’s commitment to community, stating, “We want to make sure not only that you understand and see what’s in preparation for this exhibition but also see that community lies at the heart of our mission, and we’re deeply honored to bring this exhibition and this conversation here to Brooklyn, a place where art and culture thrive.” Talk about a mic drop moment for art accessibility!
Miller then took the stage, treating the audience to a captivating slideshow previewing some of the incredible artwork, garments, and jewelry that will grace the “Superfine” exhibition. Her presentation masterfully illuminated the exhibition’s core themes: ownership, distinction, disguise, freedom, and heritage. Get ready to feast your eyes on the visionary work of designers like L’Enchanteur, Who Decides War, Ib Kamara, and Agbobly, alongside iconic pieces like a kaftan worn by the late, legendary Vogue editor and style icon André Leon Talley. Chills!
The excitement amplified as the special guests of the evening joined Miller for a dynamic discussion on creative entrepreneurship within the realm of Black fashion design. The stage buzzed with the energy and insights of Soull and Dynasty Ogun of L’Enchanteur, and Tela D’Amore and Ev Bravado of Who Decides War.
The panelists delved into fascinating topics, from the evolving perceptions of streetwear to the very definition of “entrepreneur” as it applies to their artistic output. They also shared the deeply personal familial backgrounds that served as their earliest creative sparks. Soull Ogun beautifully articulated, “Dynasty and I are from Flatbush, Brooklyn. Inside our household, there was a melting pot already happening. Our mom is from Dominica in the West Indies, our dad is from Nigeria, and we’re first generation. So while we were trying to exhibit being from Flatbush, in the house it was a lot of Caribbean and African happening, whether it was the music, the food, the clothing, the way our parents dressed, or the way that they dressed us. When we stepped outside, there was also that larger spectrum of this melting pot.”
Bravado echoed this sentiment, sharing a heartwarming connection to the Brooklyn community: “My grandmother had a church not too far from here, 1191 Bedford Avenue. So Sunday mornings—a lot of us know as Black people, African American people, Caribbean American people—are when you put on the finest. And my dad being a tailor and coming over to the country—he’s from Barbados, my mom’s from St. Vincent—it was an affair to see everyone get dressed on Sunday morning.” Talk about style roots running deep!
D’Amore then brought a crucial perspective on the link between sustainability and community, stating, “Being really intentional about what is being created—I think you owe that to your community once you start to build it. You have all these people that are paying attention, and you do have to give your heart to that. You do have to give who you are and what you’ve built. You do have to sustain that. When you do that for your community, it’s tenfold; it comes back to you. A major part of the success of our business has been community and world-building and making sure that our community is able to have access to that world as well.” Amen to that!
Finally, when asked what museumgoers should take away from the “Superfine” exhibition, Miller’s response was pure soul: “I really hope that we provided, especially with all of the themes, different entry points for people into the exhibition so that they see things that are familiar that may have happened 200 years ago or might be happening right now. I want there to be familiarity in terms of the way that people use clothing to talk about themselves—to imagine themselves differently and to just honor who they are in the moment or where they came from. But I’m also hoping some people will see something familiar, right? That there’ll be someone, something in the exhibition that reminds you of your uncle, your father, your mom. I think that there’s enough in the exhibition that will touch people in that more specific way. So I’m hoping for multiple entry points and then, hopefully, a little bit of soul.”
Last night’s event in Bed-Stuy wasn’t just a preview; it was a vibrant celebration of Black style, creativity, and community. It’s clear that “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” is poised to be a groundbreaking exhibition, and the Met’s commitment to bringing this important conversation directly to Brooklyn is a stylish and significant move. Get ready to be inspired, moved, and utterly blown away when “Superfine” opens on May 10th! This is one exhibition you absolutely won’t want to miss.
CHECKED!
