Black Dandy: The Boyz Slaying (Political) Fashion. [PART 2]

If the Black Dandies have mastered anything,
it’s the art of rebellion through individuality.

In a world that values conformity, figures
like Jimi Hendrix, Prince, the Sapeurs, and more recently,
Virgil Abloh, Pharrell Williams, and Tyler The Creator have
used fashion to declare:

“I owe you nothing. I do me, you do you.“

And beyond these trailblazing icons,
there’s another layer to this visual revolution
— the photographers who captured their defiance and made it legendary.

Oh boy, did they create entire worlds around Black style!

Take Malick Sidibé, whose timeless portrait
‘On the motorbike in my studio’ (1973)
captures that carefree swagger of Black style
in its purest form, blending joy and edge.

His work in Bamako didn’t just freeze moments; it amplified the boldness
of youth and the power of fashion as a tool of self-expression.

Similarly, Samuel Fosso in his ‘70s self-portraits showed us
that identity is fluid and can be constructed through clothing
— blurring lines, mixing genres, and showcasing how
a Black man can be anyone he chooses to be.

Hassan Hajjaj.

With his 2012 piece Afrikan Boy, Hajjaj brings vibrancy
and energy into focus, capturing the intersection of streetwear,
tradition, and high fashion. Hajjaj’s lens redefines what it means
to mix cultural heritage with modernity, where bold prints and unapologetic colors reign supreme.

Liz Johnson-Artur.

Her Untitled (Tobago), 2001, and Untitled (Kingston) from
The Black Balloon Archive, 2007, are snapshots that celebrate the
everyday elegance of Black men, where style emerges as both a celebration
of identity and an act of resistance.

The streets are the ultimate runway, and the men who walk
them are nothing short of icons in motion.

Jeffrey Henson-Scales,  whose Young Man in Plaid (1991)
encapsulates the quiet defiance in style, where the choice of a bold print
becomes a statement against the mundanity of conformity…
His photography turns casual street moments into
timeless records of rebellion.

These photographers, alongside Kristin-Lee Moolman,
whose portraits like Wayne Swart (2015) and Lebohang Otukile (2016)
offer modern visions of Black masculinity, shatter every expectation.

Bursting through conventions, these photos are sweet, sensual,
and utterly captivating, like a bold symphony of style, beauty, and resistance!

These works mirror the defiance of sapeurs,
who with their electric blues and deep reds,
reframe eleganceas an unapologetic declaration of presence.

By freeing Black men from the constraints of fashion norms,
they’ve opened doors for all men to express themselves without fear.