Exploring the Memoirs and Stories Behind Iconic Black Fashion and Style

By: Daniel R. Day

Dapper Dan is one of the most influential people in the fashion world. The Harlem native took the world by storm in the 1980s when he pioneered high-end streetwear by turning luxury brands into his own designs. Dan has designed pieces for artists such as Jay-Z, Salt-N-Pepa, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Naomi Campbell, and more. For the first time ever in his memoir, Dan tells the story of his life. In Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir, he gives readers insight into his upbringing, from building his own business from nothing, living through the drug epidemics in New York, and being a positive influence on the youth. This New York Times bestselling book discusses fashion and serves as a coming-of-age story about the legendary Dapper Dan.

By: Constance C.R. White

How to Slay: Inspiration from the Queens and Kings of Black Style takes us on a 35-year journey through fashion. It walks us through the Black style of icons such as Michelle Obama, Kanye West, Josephine Baker, Pharell Williams, Rihanna, and more. Black trends have become influential in mainstream culture and the blueprint for fashion today. The Black artists highlighted in this book have inspired trends and transformed global fashion, from hats, the use of color, the influence of Africa, the importance of attitude, and the beauty of Black skin. The author of this book, Constance C.R. White, was the first Black executive fashion editor at Elle magazine, former editor-in-chief of Essence magazine, and a style reporter for The New York Times.

By: Shantrelle P. Lewis

What is the “dandy” style? It is used to describe suits that have pops of loud color, dazzling patterns, and ties. In her book Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style, Shantrelle P. Lewis educates readers on how this style has become popular in men's fashion. Black dandyism originated in Enlightenment England’s slave culture and has evolved throughout generations in Black cultures. It has emerged in hip-hop culture and has redefined what it means to be Black, masculine, and fashionable. Shantrelle P. Lewis is an American curator, scholar, critic, and filmmaker. She is known for curating at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, and the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

By: Tanisha C. Ford

Dressed in Dreams: A Black Girl’s Love Letter to the Power of Fashion takes the reader on a deep dive into fashion's evolution in the Black community and how it has now become mainstream and appropriated. Tanisha C. Ford covers Black fashion styles from hot pants and go-go boots to dashikis and afros, baggy pants, bamboo earrings, and more. She tells stories of growing up in a Midwestern city, finding her style by experimenting with the Jheri curl, and learning how wearing the wrong color shoes during the drug and gang wars in the 1980s could get you harmed. Tanisha Ford is an American scholar and expert on Black historical fashion and culture. She is also known for her recent book Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement.