What the Met’s 2026 Theme Means in an African Context, and the Designers Shaping the Narrative
As the Costume Institute prepares its “Fashion Is Art” spring exhibition, two African designers — Chelsea Jean Lamm and Sevon Dejana — make the case that the conversation has been alive on the continent all along.
Beyond the White Lines. Africa, Fashion, and the U.S. Open
The first tennis clubs in Africa were built like fortresses. Behind their gates in Lagos, Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Casablanca, colonists played in pressed whites while Africans raked clay, carried balls, or stood outside the fence. The game was there but not for them. That shadow framed a remark by South African designer Wanda Lephoto […]
Continental Swagger: African Fashion Design in the 21st Century – Post-Panel Reflections
Yesterday’s Continental Swagger panel, presented by The Met’s Costume Institute, brought together three uncompromising voices — Adeju Thompson (Lagos Space Programme, Nigeria), Wanda Lephoto (South Africa), and Imane Ayissi (Cameroon/France) for an unflinching, deeply personal conversation on heritage, innovation, and the politics of where a designer chooses to stand. Moderated by Monica L. Miller, Guest […]
Sartorial Groundings: African Design at the Heart of Black Elegance
How do African dress traditions shape and inspire the possibilities of contemporary fashion and Black identity? In conjunction with the exhibition Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, Idelle Taye, founder of Guzangs, reflects and expands upon the rich relationship between sartorial expression and ancestral legacies across the African continent through the work of seven trailblazing contemporary designers. The Costume […]
Introducing Guzangs Designer Profiles: Archiving and Amplifying African Fashion
African fashion is in a moment of radical visibility. With it comes a responsibility: to document, archive, and build sustainable pathways for the designers shaping its future. Today, Guzangs launches Designer Profiles, a curated series dedicated to spotlighting the visionaries driving contemporary African fashion. This inaugural installment explores the creative journeys, signature works, and cultural […]
Threads of Influence V: Met Gala Co-Chairs in Focus
The 2025 Met Gala isn’t just a red carpet — it’s a cultural reckoning. With the Costume Institute’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” this year’s gala centers the sartorial legacy of Black men across the diaspora: from Harlem dapper to Savile Row rebels, Zoot suits to modern minimalism. It’s about how Black style — rooted […]
Threads of Influence: A Series on Black Tailoring
A seven-part Guzangs series on Black tailoring, written into and around the 2025 Met Gala’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” The Costume Institute’s 2025 theme made Black dandyism the subject of the year’s most-watched fashion event. Threads of Influence spent four weeks reporting around it, beginning with pre-colonial African menswear and ending on the Met steps. […]