Welcome back to the Superfine series. In preparation for the next Met Gala, I’m diving into Monica Miller’s Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity to better understand the theme. It’s a bold choice for a predominantly white and often indifferent industry to center such a deeply Black cultural text. If there’s a way to connect this very Black narrative to the industry at large, I’m here to find it.
When I first decided I wanted to take fashion writing seriously, I bought all the books, as one does, to prove to myself (if no one else) that I had an educated eye. Pro tip: buying books doesn’t do much if you don’t read them. They look great stacked on a coffee table, but there are plenty of less expensive ways to get informed. That said, one book I actually read and keep coming back to is Vestoj: A Journal of Sartorial Matters. I happened to own the issue On Authenticity. The interview with Miuccia Prada in particular got me thinking about paradox, and how that idea shows up in fashion today.
A key influence on my thinking here is Monica Miller’s work. She argues that the Black dandy is both a victim and perpetrator of stereotype. He’s a figure caught in the paradox of escaping and reinforcing the very expectations he subverts. It’s an impossible tightrope, one that doesn’t resolve neatly, but this friction is exactly what makes him so compelling. To understand better, we need to understand what paradox looks like in the fashion industry, and Prada’s perspective on authenticity gives us a good lens to do that.
Prada: Master of Contradictions
Prada is the master of making intellectual contradictions desirable, which is why her work is the perfect lens to explore fashion’s paradoxes. Her interview in Vestoj opens with a striking observation: “All our culture derives from other cultures, but authenticity is when you can add something of your own and push things forward.” With this, Prada underscores how originality is never entirely independent. If you believe you’ve invented something new—be it a subculture or a personal aesthetic—you’re likely building on what came before. But does that make it any less authentic? For Prada, the answer is no: authenticity thrives in the tension between inheritance and innovation.
The interview goes on to tackle the contradictions within fashion itself, noting, “I often ask myself why we are completely fixated on fashion and completely ashamed of it at the same time.” This love for fashion’s artistry paired with disdain for its perceived vanity defines the industry’s uneasy relationship with identity and value.
Prada’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection, themed “Minimal Baroque,” exemplifies how she navigates these contradictions. If I were a customer at the time, I can imagine seeing the title and asking, “What does that even mean?” On the heels of her iconic ugly chic collection (itself a brilliant paradox) the title “Minimal Baroque” probably felt especially confusing. Yet Prada embraced the challenge, combining her signature minimalist silhouettes with bold baroque motifs and vibrant prints. The result didn’t attempt to resolve the tension between simplicity and exaggeration; instead, it celebrated it, proving that paradox can be a powerful driver of creativity and success.
Prada’s ability to embrace the messy, unresolved nature of identity and aesthetics is a strength. She’s divisive by design, and her work shows that paradox isn’t something to fear. It’s something to exploit, to explore, and to let fuel your creativity.
Messy Truths, Bold Statements
Now listen, I know it’s a stretch to link Prada to anything about Blackness, and my sense is that it will be like that for a lot of designers with interesting insights. But the Black dandy’s paradox of escaping and falling into stereotypes can be reflected in Prada’s work. Maybe you might have to squint your eyes and tilt your head to the right a little. But she does lean into contradictions and uses them as a creative force to explore identity and innovation.
This idea of two opposing truths coexisting might be something we see at the Met Gala. I predict someone will focus on duality as a theme, maybe with an outfit that’s sharply contrasted on purpose. Janelle Monáe comes to mind; her signature black-and-white style feels perfectly suited to explore this. If not her, then someone will for sure talk about the importance of embracing the tensions and contradictions inherent in design. It’s in these messy spaces that the most thought-provoking and innovative fashion emerges.
p.s. order yourself a copy of Vestoj and thank me later!
~ Becca