Superfly

From dashikis to dancehall dress, Sunday best to samples from Goldie’s mammoth sneaker collection; Black British Style at the V&A showcases myriad fashion trends of African and Caribbean Britons taken from the past six decades.

 1950’s dapper suits juxtapose hip-hop garments, indigenous attire contrasts pure bling but this isn’t a mere eye-fest: the exhibition exemplifies, in the words of soul-singer Martina Topley-Bird, how ‘what you wear can speak for you’.  

When Jamaicans migrated to England after World War II, power-dressing became an articulation of self-pride in the face of financial hardship and social undermining.  Their clothes were the epitome of panache with men donning flashy ties and women wearing tailored dresses with co-ordinating accessories. Likewise, during the 60’s and 70’s, visual presentation served as a form of communication with the afro acting as a force of defiant ethnicity.  JW